Poinsettia Gardener

     My mom was one of the few people who could successfully transplant potted poinsettias into our yard and they often grew to as much as 5 or 6 feet tall!  We had the loveliest border of poinsettias along the west side of our home.  She was a school teacher and poinsettia plants seemed to be a favorite gift from one or more of her students.  She was, indeed, a 'poinsettia gardener.'

     This sweet image of a poinsettia snowman is from Beccy's Place and I use it as a salute to Mom.  :-D  The image is fussy cut (by hand) and popped up on dimensional tape.  The fabric tape was a gift from my friend, Christi, who sent me a whole box of goodies!  Thanks, Christi.

     The sentiment is part of the image set and I hand cut it before adhering it.  The little white bow is one of the ones I make by the dozens and toss into my stash for future use.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Cardz TV
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Hazelnut's
Di's Digi Designs
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Pattie's Creations
Winter Wonderland

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Wreath of Poinsettias

     A new alphabet prompt at Beccy's Place today.  "W" is a little bit easier than U and V were but I did try to get creative with the Wreath so that it wasn't ordinary or expected.

I was inspired by the sketch at

The Outlawz, although I took a liberty or two -

turning it a 1/4 turn and offsetting the middle band.

     Beccy has a lovely set of poinsettia images and one of them is the three-poinsettia floral spray I used here.  I printed it off three times, cutting each one with a round die from QuicKutz.  I cut those circles in half, fussy cutting the portion next to the petals on each one.  I placed those three cut images into a Wreath shape and mounted them onto a green, die cut, circle (also QuicKutz.)

     I chose a piece of deep red CS, ran it through my "Linen" embossing folder, and Wrapped it with Wide, Wired ribbon.   I added the image on top of that, then printed the "Wishing you...." sentiment.   I wanted something as a focal point in the center of the Wreath so I cut a snowflake with a die from Art Impressions and put a tiny gem on it.  I added a handmade bow and called it finished.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Cardz TV
Crafting with Friends
Die Cut Divas
Lemon Shortbread
Scrap from Your Heart
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.

     The new week is starting and the rush to Christmas is upon us.  Thankfully, I don't have to brave any of the shopping crowds this year so I can stay inside where it's warm and cozy, crafting and humming Christmas carols while the rest of the country tears their hair and fights for the perfect gift, all the while losing patience along with the true Christmas spirit.  :-D   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Potted Poinsettia

     One more Christmas card to share and I have a feeling I'll still be sharing some after Christmas!  This one uses an image from Bugaboo Stamps with one of my favorite characters, Fancy Sunbonnet.  She's just so precious and I adore nearly every image with her throughout seasons.  This one, in which she's bearing the gift of a poinsettia plant, is probably my favorite for the Christmas season. 
   
     Maybe that's because she reminds me of my mother who often gifted poinsettias to family members at Christmas.  Each had been lovingly snipped and pot-started from the massive poinsettia plant she tended in our yard.  She had more luck growing them than anyone else I've ever known.

     I started by coloring this with ProMarkers, then I fussy cut the image by hand.  I took a red card base and ran it through one of my Poinsettia embossing folders from SU.  I found a negative scrap frame (Spellbinders die) which I trimmed and adhered on top of the embossing.  I used dimensional tape to mount the image inside the frame.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it and added it above the image.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Catch the Bug (top row)
Come and Get It
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Friends
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Di's Digi Designs
Glitter n Sparkle
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack

     I have another pre-scheduled post tomorrow for my usual Friday at QKR Stampede so be sure to stop by again.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Snowman Joy

     Good heavens, last month I did a card with a Beccy's Place image every single day and thought I had used all of the winter/Christmas images of hers that I had.  Then I found this delightful snowman with his arms full of poinsettia flowers which I've never used before!  I merged it with the poinsettia border before printing it.

I started with the colors in this photo from House of Cards.

     I colored with ProMarkers, added sparkly glitter to the pom pom on his hat, and cut both the image and the mat with dies from QuicKutz.  I layered those onto a pre-made card blank and added some silver and white baker's twine (which has also been in my stash forever, completely unused.)  I printed the sentiment, hand-cut it, and added it; a nice CAS design which will mail quite easily.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Beccy's Place
Come and Get It
Crazy Challenge
Cupcake Inspirations
Dream Valley
Glitter n Sparkle
Outlawz CAS
Path of Positivity

     Thanks for visiting and may the rest of your weekend be filled with creativity.  NanaConnie

Poinsettia Garden

     I love this angelic snowman tending his lovely Poinsettia garden.  With that capital "P" on Poinsettia, can you tell it's another card for the Month of Holidays at Beccy's Place?  Yep, today we are to use the letter "P."

     I colored with my ProMarkers, and added glittery gel ink to the snowflake halo and used dots of Wink of Stella on the Poinsettia centers.  I cut the image with a stitched die from CUTplorations and then framed it with another die cut (Gina Marie Dies.)  I mounted the image piece onto Pop Dots before layering it onto the frame and then put that entire thing onto a lime green card base.  The sentiment was computer printed, hand cut, and added to the image piece.  Aside from the dimension (which doesn't show too well in the photo), it's a fairly CAS card.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
A Perfect Time to Craft
Beccy's Place
CCC Digi
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Hazelnut's Extra
Crea Chicky's 
Create with TLC 
Stempelsonnen
World Wide DT Open

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Candles

     Quick post this morning since I'm probably sleeping in after a week at the beach.  It's exhausting watching all those waves roll in hour after hour, you know.  :-D Actually, I got home in the middle of the night and then added this post and toddled off to bed.

     One more card for my Christmas stash with this lovely Poinsettia Candle image from Delicious Doodles.

     I've had this image for two or three years and I don't think I've used it but now that I realize how lovely it is to color, I'll probably use it at least once each season, maybe more.

     The holly leaf frame is also one from Delicious Doodles.  I colored both of the images with Shinhan markers, then die cut the frame with a rectangle die from Spellbinders, and fussy cut the candles before adding them to the frame with dimensional tape.

     I wrapped lace and ribbon around the card front and layered on the frame, also using dimensional tape.  I 'dyed' the bow with ProMarkers so that it would match the ribbon I had woven through the lace.  Finally, I added sequins to the frame corners for a bit of sparkle.

     This photo just doesn't do justice to the dimension or to the sparkle but it was the best I could do and still get this post done before heading off to bed.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Hazelnut's Extra
Cute Card Thurs.
Fussy and Fancy
MarkerPOP
Merry Monday
Outlawz Greetings
Polkadoodles
Southern Girls (flowers/image/ribbon)
Stamping Sensations

     Today I'll be starting on my long "catch up" visits to all my favorite blogs.  I wish I was going to have time to comment on every post all my fav bloggers have made while I've been gone but that just isn't going to happen.  Still, I have to see all the marvelous creations everyone has posted so I'll be visiting everyone later today.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie