Mail Early for Christmas

      Can you believe that Christmas is less than 2 months away?  Only 8 short weeks to get those cards made and in the mail !  So start thinking about jumping into the fray and working on those holiday cards you said you were going to start last March.  lol

     Today starts a new challenge at Crafty Catz where our theme is always "Anything Goes" with an optional twist if you want to use it.  The OPTION this week is "4 legged critters."  Our sponsor for the week is All Dressed Up and they supplied images for the DT to use.  I chose "Christmas Postie" for the adorable cat and dog (each with 4 legs!) putting their Christmas cards in the mail.

     I used water color paints, Sanjoki markers, and white gel pen to color the image, then cut it and the black frame with dies from Tonic Studios.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I dug through the Christmas papers drawer and found one in green and gold that I love, then used it for the background.  I added a strip of gold satin ribbon.

     Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

Classic Design

Christmas Kickstart

Creatalicious

Digi Choosday

Kerst Christmas

Rabisco

YSBP

     I hope we're going to see you playing in our challenge this week.  We love being inspired by you.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Life's Too Short ...

      Today's my daughter's birthday and I hope she's going to be far too busy to visit my blog (which she doesn't do that often anyway) because I'm posting her Halloween card.  Yes, she's an adult, and yes, she has kids in college, and yes, I send her (and everyone else in my family; kids, grandkids, great-grands) Halloween cards just because it's so much fun!

     But this one will have special meaning to her and that means I need to tell you a little bit about the business she runs.  She's a Color Street stylist and if you've never heard of Color Street, check out her FB site, Michele's Magnificent Manis.  Color Street is dry nail polish strips which go on in a jiffy and are dry to the touch as soon as they are applied.  Since she started her business about 4 years ago, I've been using Color Street on my own nails and I have to say I love the product.  Everybody asks if it's stickers or stick-on nails, but it's not.  It's real nail polish but it comes in strips, not in a bottle and there's no waiting for it to dry once applied.

     So, when I saw this fabulous digital coloring page over on the Bogema Books site, I had to buy the entire coloring book just to get this image.  What could be more perfect?  Tatiana Bogema is the artist and I do love her pages.  I also bought one of her Christmas books while I was there.

     I sized the image for an A2 card, then printed it and used water color paints for coloring it.  I cut it with my largest Tonic Studios rectangle die and matted it with both black and orange CS scraps, trimmed to fit.  The sentiment came from a sign my daughter has in her vendor booth when she does sales events.  It seemed perfect for this image!  Isn't this a scream?

     Challenges:

Aloha Friday

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Knockouts

Double D

Happy...Stampers

LeighSBDesigns

Paper Funday

Simon Says Stamp

Sweet Sketch Weds (scene)

     Sending a Happy Birthday wish to my daughter and thanks to all the rest of you for stopping by.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Swinging Halloween

      I fell in love with this image as soon as I saw it and knew it had to go on a card, even though it was designed originally (I think) as a coloring book page.  It was 1 of 3 mailed to me by a gal who wanted to know if I would color them for her.  She plans to use them as Halloween decor and they were coloring book size when she mailed them to me.  I asked her if I could scan this one and use it on a card and she said yes.  :-D  

     I scanned it, reduced the size, and deepened the level of gray scale before I printed it, making it look darker and spookier.  I used white gel pen to add highlights to the ghosties (they had darkened into the background and were nearly invisible), and purple water color on the background so that it looked more like Halloween.  In the photo, the purple seems to be pink but it really is purple!

     The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.

     This card goes to my great-grandson so I left it completely plain, just a fun, CAS, masculine card.

     Challenges:

AAA Cards

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Inspired By

LeighSBDesigns

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR  ("moon-tints of purple & pearl")

  

     What do you think, cute without being too spooky?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie     

Ghostie and Jack

      Another Halloween card to share, this one for one of the grandsons.  He'll never check the blog so it's ok to post this early.  I'll share another one tomorrow for one of the great-grands, also a boy.  I did this card as a masculine CAS card.

     I started with the image printed in very light gray scale, then used pencil to add darker grays in the most shaded areas and use my Sanjoki markers to color the ghost's eyes. mouth, and the jack-o-lantern.  I cut the image with a die from Tonic Studios, framed it with another die cut (also Tonic Studios die) and fussy cut the sentiment.  

     I found a scrap of purple dp which I layered onto the card front, then layered the image and sentiment on top of that.  No embellishment because it's a masculine card.

     Challenges:

Aloha Friday

Art Impressions

Creative Fingers

Double D

Inspired By

LeighSBDesigns

Most Magical Time ...

Paper Dragonfly

Penny's P-C

Simply CAS

     Thanks for stopping by.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pumpkin Patch

     Another Friday and another "Anything Goes" challenge begins at Crafty Catz this week.  Remember, in addition to the theme, we offer you the OPTION of a twist if you choose to use it and this week that twist is "Lots of Layers."  Our sponsor this week is Beccy's Place and, while Beccy generously provided images for the team to use, I pulled the ones I used from my own very extensive collection of Beccy's Place images.  

     Although I looked long and hard, I couldn't find the set in the store so it's possible they were retired.  But the set was called "Pumpkin Patch" and it contained both images called Pumpkin Patch Jack and Pumpkin Days.  The sentiment came from a set called Pumpkin Patch.  

     I colored the main pumpkin stack with Sanjoki markers and fussy cut him.  The sentiment was printed and also fussy cut.  The row of pumpkins in the background were colored with pencils and markers, then fussy cut with scissors.

     The black layer is a die cut using  a reverse scallop die from QuicKutz and everything is mounted on dimensional dots, then layered onto a kraft card base.     

I based the card layout on the sketch from Cheerful Sketches, reversed.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Carlin's Card ... (Layers)

Classic Design

Crafting Challenge

Creative Knockouts

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

SheepSki Designs

     We really want to see you playing along this week so get something made and enter it into our challenge.  Remember, you can do lots of layers if you want but you can also just enter under the "Anything Goes" theme.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Haunted Night

      I'm delighted to have been invited to be a Guest Designer at the C.R.A.F.T. challenge this week and the challenge is sponsored by both Trimgym (fantastic digital papers!) and The Cutting Cafe.  Since I don't have a machine that can use electronic cutting files, I chose one of the digital papers from Trimgym (<--- check out the link - the dp I used happens to be a freebie you can get, along with several others :-D) and an image from my collection of digis to make this fun and haunting card which fits right in with the Halloween/Thanksgiving theme for this challenge.

     This funny "Stack of Jacks" image, along with the sentiment, both come from Beccy's Place, but they are from different stamp sets.  I merged the sentiment onto the image before printing, then colored with my Sanjoki markers.  BTW, the image was printed in light brown instead of black (the magic of Word!) and it makes the image look more "lineless."  :-D   

     I cut the image with a die from Tonic Studios.  I inked the edges and layered it directly onto the magnificent digi paper from Trimgym.  I kept it very CAS, no embellishment of any kind since I'm going to mail this to one of my grandsons for Halloween.

     This is as perfect image for me.  From my childhood days, I have loved carving pumpkins into Jack-o-Lanterns, and the spookier the better.  I don't know that I ever tried a one-eyed, cyclops Jack but I may have to try that this year.  :-D

     Challenges:

Art Impressions

Creative Inspiration

Double D

LeighSBDesigns

Most Magical Time ...

Outlawz Fri

Outlawz Thurs

Paper Shelter

Pattie's Creations

     Why not get something made that will fit into either the Halloween or Thanksgiving theme and come enter it into our challenge this week?  We love being inspired by you.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Gift Card Holder for Christmas

     Something a little different today - a gift card holder with a belly band holding it closed, featuring a Conie Fong image called Candy Cane Girl Elf on the front of the belly band. She's available as a single or in a group of 3 girl elves.  There are also boy elves available in a separate set, all the same poses but with boy elves instead of girls.  Check out the Conie Fong store HERE.  All of the new Elf images are on sale right now so grab them soon!

     I'll have some other gift card/money holders to post over the next few weeks so keep an eye out.  For this one, I colored the image with my Sanjoki markers, then fussy cut the image to add to the front of the belly band.  I folded and scored plain CS to make the holders (4" x 8" strip scored/folded at 3.5" and 7" which leaves a 1" fold-down flap on the back), added dp to the front, taped the sides together with double stick tape, then used a strip of that same dp to make the belly band and slid it over the card holder.  These could also be used for money gifts by folding the money.  The finished (outside) dimensions of the holder are 3.5" x 4".

     Challenges:

Creatalicious

Creative Moments

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz No Cards

Pammie's I P

Peace on Earth

     Don't forget that Conie Fong has a challenge running over on our Facebook site and you can enter anything using a Conie Fong image.  Don't have any Conie Fong images?  Check out the sale over at the store (sale images are only $2.00!) or look at the freebies available on the FB site.  No excuse not to enter.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Holly Jolly Mouse

      I have a craft fair coming up just a few days before Thanksgiving in November and I've been working on lots of extra Christmas and Thanksgiving cards.  

     This is a digital coloring book image which I reduced in size to fit an A2 card.  I used my polychromos colored pencils to color that sweet mouse, then cut him with a QuicKutz die.  I photographed the image after I colored him and printed 6 of them so that I could make a half dozen, duplicate cards which will be a set of Christmas cards.  They are all the same but for the background color.  I used different sparkly papers on each one (this blue, plus red, green, white, silver, and gold) so there is some variety, even though the image looks exactly the same on each one. The sentiment was printed and fussy cut.  The background is glitter paper from DCWV.  Fast and easy with no embellishment!

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Time to Ride

      I've gone a little crazy for Beccy's Place images this past week (I think I've made 3 cards so far) but she has so many delightful (and fun) images for all kinds of occasions (or even non-occasions!)  Here's another card I made using some of her Halloween cuties.  The witch is named Agatha and I reversed her before printing.  The cat is Hemlock and I hate to say that I can't find either of them in the store any more.  It's possible they have been retired, which makes me very glad that I grabbed them before they disappeared.  :-D

     I merged the images, then printed them onto plain, white CS, cut them with a Tonic Studios die, and inked the edges with an ink pad.  I printed the sentiment, cut it with an Avery Elle die, inked those edges, and layered it onto the image piece.  The background was made with paper scraps from an old DCWV Halloween stack.  Although they don't show up well in the photo, the bats on the dp in the upper corner are shiny and gold metallic.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Crafting Challenge

Crafts Galore ...

Friendship

LeighSBDesigns

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

Park Hopping (Universal)

SUYP Cats

Yark

     

     That's all for today.  Enjoy and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Wish

      I'm working on Thanksgiving cards these days, as well as Halloween and Christmas.  This adorable mouse is one of my favorite QKR Stampede images and I've used him on birthday cards, good luck cards, thinking of you cards, but I wanted to see if I could turn him into a cute Thanksgiving card and I think he's perfect!

     I colored with my Sanjoki markers, then fussy cut him with tiny scissors.  That cutting took ore time than either the coloring or putting all the pieces together to create the actual card.  :-D  I grabbed a Hero Arts die which was still lying on the craft desk and used it on a piece of orange CS.

     That die only cuts the interior part of a piece of paper (usually a rectangle 4.25" X 5.5"), not the edges, so I took my scissors again and fussy cut what is now the exterior shape of that orange piece, following the die cut bits.  I mounted the image onto it with dimensional dots, lifting the image off the background.  I found a wonderful piece of dp in an old DCWV 'Tres Chic' stack and trimmed it to size for the card front.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut.

     Challenges:

Bastel-Traum

Classic Design

Crafty Calendar

Creatalicious

Di's Digi Designs

Dragonfly Dreams

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

Worldwide Crafters ...

     Thanks for visiting.  If you have time, and if you played in the September challenge at LeAnn's World 101, check out the winners post which went live today.  You could be the winner or even a Top 3!  While you're there, think about entering something into our "Anything Goes" challenge.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Wise Old Bird

      Sorry for the late posting but only by a few hours so I'm sure I'll be forgiven.  :-D

     We have a new challenge that started earlier today over at FarmQuest, where we always want to see something farm/country and where we always have a specific theme.  Our theme this time is "Feathers" and you can enter anything with feathers from birds, poultry, fowl.

     I found this delightful owl in a digital coloring book by Maya Silvercat and I reversed it before printing it.  I colored using my Sanjoki markers and cut both the image and the brown CS frame with QuicKutz dies.  The sentiment was printed, cut with an Avery Elle die, and matted with a tiny scrap of left over brown CS. The background was made using a bit from the scrap basket and I have no idea what company made it.  I've had it in my stash for quite a while and I couldn't locate the original stack, though I'm sure I still have it.

     Challenges:

Aloha Friday

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspirations

Happy...Stampers

I Love Markers

Outlawz Friday

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Star Stampz

Word Art Weds

     I hope we're going to see you playing along with us this time.  We love seeing what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

All About the Catnip

      This is a card that's doing double duty.  Since I'm on the Crafty Catz DT and since LeAnn's World 101 is sponsoring today's Crafty Catz challenge, for today's card I used the LeAnn's World 101 Progressive Challenge image for October as the focus.  It's called "Witches Brew." 

     While the name of the image indicates Halloween, I thought it would be fun to see if I could successfully use it on a non-Halloween card.  Since she has her witch hat on over her cute kitten ears, and since there's a kitty paw print on the teacup, I went with a catnip tea sentiment.  But you'll no doubt notice that I still used pretty traditional fall/Halloween colors

    The image is colored with Sanjoki markers, then cut with a die from Cutz Dies.  The background paper is from Recollections.  I added a small scrap of mulberry paper behind the image piece and feathered the edges of it.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die, then matted with a bit of orange dp.

     Challenges:

Aloha Friday

Crafty Calendar

Crazy for Cats

Gem of a Challenge

Polkadoodles

     We'd love to see you playing along in the LeAnn's Progressive Challenge which is on the Facebook page, and also in the Crafty Catz challenge where the theme is always Anything Goes.  But we also give you an optional twist each week and this week that twist is "Monochrome, except for the image."

  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Black Cat and Bats

      Today I have another Halloween card, on which I used the Anne Fenton image from  the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz.  Of course, I love the image because it's one of Anne's but also because it has a cat.

     I colored it with water color paints and cut it with a die from Tonic Studios.  I matted it with a scrap of dp from  DCWV.  I cut some purple CS to the size of the A2 card front, and layered the image on top of it.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The three gold bats were fussy cut from a scrap of Paper Pizzazz CS.  The black bats were hand drawn into the image background and the moon was created with yellow alcohol markers.

     Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

Happy...Stampers

Outlawz Tuesday

Penny's P-C

SUYP Cats

Two Old Bats

WordArt Weds

     That's it for today but I'll be posting again tomorrow for the Crafty Catz weekly challenge and you really need to check it out.  See you then.  

     Happy Crafting,  NanaConnie

Happy Moo-lloween!

      The younger of my two granddaughters is attending Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX.  She was born in Texas but the family moved to California when she was Kindergarten age so returning to Texas has given her a different view of life.  

     Somehow, cows have become a running joke between her and the rest of the family, to the point where she has decorated her apartment with black and white cowhide patterns, and pictures of cows on the walls.  As you can imagine, the cow fascination has given me rich territory for cards.  :-D  Today's card is one of her Halloween cards.

     As soon as I saw this image (DeegitalMark), I had to grab it.  Then, as I searched that site (which was new to me) I saw more and more delightful cows dressed in Halloween garb and I ended up buying a set of 16 images.  I'm sending her several throughout the month, just to be funny.  This one was mailed last week.

     I printed the image in light grayscale, then used watercolors to color it, and added the pale gray shadow around the cow with marker.  I used a Spellbinders die to cut the image, and a QuicKutz die to cut the frame on which I had printed the sentiment.  I colored that frame orange with another marker, and inked the edges with a black ink pad.  The background paper was a scrap from the basket and I have no idea who made it.  I only know it's been in my stash of  leftovers for more years than I care to consider.

     Challenges:

Aloha Friday

Creative Fingers

Daisy Chain

Halloween AYR

LeighSBDesigns

Let's Craft & ...

Outlawz Friday

Star Stampz

Two Old Bats

WorldWide Crafters ...

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pussy Willows

     I love, love, LOVE this clip art, digital image of kittens on a pussy willow branch.  Aren't those faces precious?  I pulled out my tiniest, thinnest brushes and, to get the softness of the buds and the fur, I used watercolor paints with a few colored pencil strokes added.  

     The image was cut with a Tonic Studios die and the edges were inked with markers.  I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die, then inked the edges of it.  The background (blue and white) is actually fabric!

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Crafts Galore Encore

Creatalicious

Creative Moments

Happy...Stampers

Morgan's ArtWorld

Pammie's IP

Rabisco

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Kitten's First Snow

      I have a dear friend who adores cats and kittens as much as I do and each Christmas I make her a card with kittens.  So, when I saw this adorable clip art image, I 'pounced' on it and made her Christmas card for this year.  Once again, I took a color image and printed it in light gray scale before coloring it myself.  The great thing about printing in gray scale is that you get all the shading and highlights which were in the original but you choose your own color palette.

     I colored with a combo of Sanjoki markers (sky and wall) and polychromos pencils (kittens, birds, and cherries on tree), plus white gel pen for snowflakes.  I cut the image with a square QuicKutz die and framed it with white CS, also cut with a Quickutz die.  The holly paper came from the scrap basket and I think it was from DCWV.  The sentiment is from Beccy's Place and I cut it with an Avery Elle die.

     Because this one has to be mailed, I left it very flat and without fancy embellishment.

     Challenges:

Christmas Kickstart

(In honor of Janis and her Cat Lovers Hop)

Digi Choosday

Happy...Stampers

Let's Craft & Create

Lil Patch of ...

My Favorite Things

Pattie's Creations

Peace on Earth

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie    

Merry Country Christmas

      Can you believe that our fearless leader at FarmQuest has opened a new 'country' challenge blog?  This time she's focused on Christmas (opt: winter) and I jumped at the chance to be part of the DT.  The challenge is called FarmQuest Country Christmas challenge (naturally) and playing along is a great way to get your Christmas cards done a bit at a time over the entire year.

     The challenge goes live on the 7th of each month and runs through the 5th of the next month.  You may enter up to 5 times in each challenge.

     For my first DT card, I chose this delightful clip art image which I printed twice in grayscale, adjusting one of the images to be smaller and I 'pyramided' it as a top layer on the larger image.  I colored the smaller one with a combination of Sanjoki markers, watercolors, and white gel pen on the snow and snowflakes.

     I cut the images with Tonic Studios dies, and cut the mat frames with dies from QuicKutz.  The red snowflake dp is from Doodlebug and it's been in my stash for at least 6 years.  The sentiment was printed onto white CS before I cut it for the frame.  Because I'm going to use this as a masculine card, I left it rather simple and without any embellishment other than the background paper.

     Challenges:

12 Months...Christmas

Art Impressions

Creative Fingers

Happy...Stampers

Holly & Ivy

I Love Markers

Kerst Christmas

My Favorite Things

Outlawz Friday

Paperminutes

     Come check out this new challenge.  We'd love to see what you create.  Remember, it's always a "Country Christmas" (or country winter) theme.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Wicked Good Time

       It's October already!  How did that happen so quickly?  I suppose everything moves more quickly once Labor Day is behind us and that means the fall and winter holidays will be in our laps before we know it.

     My card today is for the FarmQuest General Store challenge and our theme is always "Anything Country Goes."  I decided on an old fashioned celebration of Halloween in a country graveyard.  I merged these spooky images from a set I found at Jan's Digi Stamps called "Haunted."  It's been one of my favorite Halloween sets since Jan first made it.  So many fantastic images and so many possibilities!

     I colored the merged images with Sanjoki markers, then fussy cut them with scissors.  The sentiment was also merged and it can be found in that same set.  I decided to create a background by using polka dot dp and adding bits of foiled spider webs which are metallic and shiny.  It looks really spooky IRL !

     Challenges:

Classic Designs

Double Trouble (all 3)

Halloween All Year ...

Mirtillamente

Most Magical ...

Pammie's IP

Park Hopping (Universal Studios)

Two Old Bats

Worldwide Crafters ...

     We'd love to see you plying in our challenge this month.  Just do something "Country" and enter it.  Did you know we also have a new FarmQuest Country Christmas challenge blog?  (If you scroll down one post, you'll see my DT card for that challenge.)  You can submit anything that has a 'Country' flair but it must be Christmas (or a winter holiday) and our first challenge started just minutes ago!  Get over there and take a look.

  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Windy Thanksgiving

     Welcome to another Friday and another new challenge at Crafty Catz.  Our themes are always "Anything Goes" but we also offer you the opportunity to use an optional theme, if you want to challenge yourself a bit more.  Our option this week is "Colors of Autumn."

     We're being sponsored by The Paper Shelter and they provided the fabulous set of images and backgrounds for the DT to use, called "Autumn Breeze."  For this card, I used the pre-colored image and background.  I fussy cut the image with scissors, then mounted it onto dimensional dots before layering it onto the background.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut and I also added dimension to it.  I love the visual texture the dimension creates.

     Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspiration

Creative InspirationS

Digi Choosday

Outlawz Thurs

Outawz Colors

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Sweet Sketch Weds (#264 Scene)

WordArt Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fall Wagon

      Today is the start of our October blog challenge at LeAnn's World 101 and our theme is always "Anything Goes."  The challenge will run through the last day of the month and winners will be posted on the 15th of November.  Don't forget that we also have a Progressive challenge on our Facebook site which begins on the 5th of each month.  If you've not played in it before, check it out here: Progressive Challenge.

     For the Blog challenge, I used a wonderful autumn image called "Fall Wagon" and I colored it using Sanjoki markers and water color paints.  I cut it with die from Unbranded.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and matted with a tiny scrap of one of the two textured papers I chose for the background.  Both of those were scraps also and they are from Recollections.

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Crafts Galore ...

Digi Choosday

Dragonfly Dreams

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

Passion for Markers

SheepSki Designs

Simon Says Stamp

     I hope you'll come and play with us this month.  We'd love to see what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Defining Gratitude !

      Once upon a time, way back when I first began serving on Design Teams, I was invited to join the team at 613 Avenue Create.  After a couple of years, I resigned because life just got waaay too busy.  Now, I'm pleased to announce that I'm happily back on that DT.  :-D

     As always, we have an "Anything Goes" theme but there's also an optional twist if you choose to use it and this month that option is "Autumn Colors." 

     This image is from QKR Stampede and I thought he was perfect for an autumn card - an old moonshine framer.  lol  I colored him with my Sanjoki markers, then cut him and the rust orange frame with octagon dies from QuicKutz.  I found a scrap of dp from DCWV and used a Taylor Made embossing folder on it.  The gauze paper for the background is also from DCWV.

     I found a strip of mesh ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon) in my stash and added it for more texture.  I thought it worked really well with the gauze texture behind it.  The sentiments were printed and one was cut with a QuicKutz die, and the other was fussy cut and matted.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Creatalicious

Creative Fingers

Double Trouble (all 3)

I Spy with My ...

Night Owls

Not2Shabby

Pammie's IP

Worldwide ...

     Pop on over to 613 Avenue Create and see what all the other DT have done for their inspiration cards, then get something made and come enter it into our challenge.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Polly Parrot

      It's Friday and that means another challenge over at Crafty Catz.  This week, our theme is "Spots or Stripes" and I went with spots.  We are being sponsored by QKR Stampede and the prize will be the three images used by the DT.  Be sure to check out the challenge post over at Crafty Catz to see all three of the images.

     I used the "Parrot" image, although I think it's really a macaw.  I colored with my Sanoki markers, then cut the image with a die from Cutz.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  I found a lovely scrap of rain-forest-looking dp from DCWV for the full background, and cut another scrap for the band across the bottom with the 'spots' on it.

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Happy...Stampers

Jan's Digi Stamps

Lil Patch of Crafty ...

Outlawz Friday

Pammie's IP

Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sunflowers for FarmQuest

      I know it's been more than a week since I posted anything but my daughter has a vendor booth at our local County Fair and I've been hanging out with her, pretending to be a valuable co-worker, managing the behind-the-scenes technical issues while she handles customers and sales.  I have to admit I'm really tired of making all the little sleeves and envelopes for the myriad of coupons and give away items that funnel through the booth, but it's filled with fun activities even if it is busy, busy, busy!  :-D

     Today, we have a new challenge starting over at FarmQuest and our new theme is "Sunflowers."  Don't forget that all entries must be 'country' or 'farm' related but it's pretty hard to focus on sunflowers without being at least a little bit country.   I found this delightful clip art image in my collection of flower digis, printed it in grayscale, then colored it with my polychromos pencils.  I used gamsol to blend the coloring.

     I knew as I was coloring that I wanted to do a very simple design, partly because I had printed such a large image piece but also because I wanted the sunflowers to take center stage and not have to compete with too much embellishment.  I had added the sentiment before printing the image, so I just cut it square, then rounded the corners with a Uchida punch.  I put that onto a bright orange card front and called it finished.  

     BTW, orange is definitely NOT one of my 'go to' colors but it is my favorite harvest/autumn color because I use it so rarely all the rest of the year that it's kind of refreshing to use it for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or other autumn cards.  :-D

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Bastel-Traum

Coloring w Pencils

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspiration

Digi Choosday

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

Paper Funday

     I hope you're going to come play in our "Sunflowers" challenge this time.  You have a full 2 weeks (and a couple of extra days) because this challenge ends on October 13.  Don't let time run out on you.  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Balloon

      A fast post this morning to show you a fast card I did at 1:00 this morning!  I'm pretty sure the balloon image is one from Eureka Stamps; I found it printed and in a folder of Christmas images from last year which were all waiting to be colored.

     The background piece is the image from the Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz for September.  I've been meaning to get something done with it all month long and here it is, the 27 of September and I still hadn't made a card !  I happened to drop both printed pieces onto the craft desk next to each other, and I realized what a great background the Outlawz image would make for the balloon.

     I grabbed my Sanjoki markers, did a bit of coloring on both the balloon and the background, then fussy cut the balloon, and layered it on top of the the card front where the background was already printed.  I though it need a bit more Christmas joy so I used a marker to add the red border on one side and at the bottom.  Done!  I had to wait until this morning to photograph it, but here it is.

     That's all I have for now but tomorrow I'll have a new post for the next challenge at FarmQuest.  Do stop by and see what's new over there.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie