New Year Lovers

     OK, it's my first Friday since leaving the Delicious Doodles design team and I begged Teri to let me come back one more time as a Guest Designer so that I could do this card using her fabulous silhouette image, "Lovers."  She said "yes," and here I am!   The theme this week is "Let's Party" and I can't think of a bigger party than the one to start off the New Year every year.  I hope we'll see you playing along.

I chose sketch #173 from Sunday Sketch & Stamp.

     This image is also fantastic for a wedding, engagement, or anniversary card.  Or maybe a New Year's wedding?  Just change out the sentiment.  I printed the image, added some Stickles (Diamond) for a bit of glitz and sparkle, then double framed it with two negative die cuts, one black, one white.

     The embossed paper is a leftover from another project (you'll see it next year) and I used my brand new embossing folder from Sizzix (which actually is flowers, not snowflakes, but I thought it made great flakes, too.  :-D )  I have some wonderful new tools to use this year.

     The silver ribbon was in my stash and the background dp was made by painting a scrap piece of  paper with Royal Blue paint from Creative Inspirations and then adding snow to it with a white gel pen.  The sentiment is also an image from Delicious Doodles and is a freebie on the Facebook page over there.

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations -- Anything goes
Craft-Dee Bowz -- Anything w/ handmade bow
Crafter's Cafe -- New Year
Crafting by Designs -- New
Crafty Bloggers Network -- Girly
Crazy Challenge -- New Year
Creative Inspirations Paints -- Anything goes
Cuttin' n Stampin' -- Anything goes w/ leftovers
Fan-Tastic Tuesday -- Punches & dies
Friends of Speedy TV -- Wedding or engagement
My Craft Creations -- Anything goes
One Stitch at a Time -- Anything goes
Outlawz Monday Greeting -- Tie it up (ribbon/lace)
Paper Pretties Weds. -- New Year
Pink Elephant Monday -- Anything goes
Rhedd & Rosie's -- Snow
Robyn's Fetish -- Silver or gold
Scribble n Scrap -- Anything goes
Twisted Tuesday -- New beginnings + use something new (emb folder)
Vintage Stamping/Flonz -- Cold & frosty colors
Whimsy Inspirations -- Party time

     So, one last time as a favor for me, won't you play along in the "Party Time" challenge at Delicious Doodles?  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie  

Santa Mouse

     A few days ago, I told you I had done my last Christmas card and, at the time, I meant it.  But then, I remembered this darling "Santa Mouse" image, drawn by Kathy at Stamp Art by Kathryn and available through Whimsy Stamps, which I had to buy the first instant I saw it.  I had bought it before Thanksgiving, printed it out and slipped it into my folder of 'Things to Color' which is always nearby, no matter where I am.  I forgot about it until I saw it again yesterday and then just had to color it and turn it into a card.  It's just so cute; I know it's now a favorite of mine and will get used every year.  So, let me share with you my absolutely, very last, Christmas card.  :-D

I followed this week's sketch from The Outlawz

and took my colors from Color My Heart: "ruby and juniper."

  

     I colored Santa Mouse with a combination of ProMarkers and colored pencils.  He was already die cut before coloring but I matted him and all the papers with black CS.   The background dp I used is scrap booking paper from Paper Pizazz, called "Santa Plaid."   The corner dp were just scraps which I cut to size.  I added strips of gold colored gemstones to each corner and then found the bits of ribbon and holly leaves in some dp and cut them out by hand, backed them with CS, and added them to the corners.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas -- Make own embellies
A Creative Romance -- Sparkle at Christmas
As You Like It -- Fav Christmas digi & why (It's too cute to resist!)
Baffies Kreativladen -- Last minute Christmas
Catch the Bug -- Fav Christmas song (Here Comes Santa Claus)
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards -- Happy holidays
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas -- Last minute Christmas
Digi Haven -- Colors of the season
Di's Digis Designs -- Christmas
DL.ART Thankful Thursday -- Christmas
House That Stamps Built -- Last minute Christmas card
MilkCoffee -- Anything Christmas
Pumpkin Spice -- Anything holiday
QKR Stampede -- Happy holidays
Simon Says Stamp -- Bling
Stampin' w/ the Dragon -- Last minute Christmas
Stempelsonnen -- Anything goes
The Squirrel & the Fox -- Christmas
Whimsy Inspirations -- Party time (Christmas party)

     Well, it's the last Monday before Christmas and I'm totally ready.  No last minute shopping, not even at the grocery store.  My time is my own and I'm enjoying being close to family this year.  Merry Christmas to all my friends and followers.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Snow Flurries for Christmas

     I have a very dear and lifelong friend who lives in the foothills of the High Sierras on the California side and more than anything she loves snow at Christmas.  Unfortunately (or fortunately all the rest of the winter) she lives at an elevation where snow isn't something that falls and sticks to the ground for days at a time.  Still, flurries of snow in the cold of December occurs often enough that she crosses her fingers for a cold snap during the last week of December.  So, I've done this card for her as a good luck charm in bringing snowflakes.

I used the sketch at Sketchy Colors

and the image is "Flurry" from Lacy Sunshine 

where we're supposed to 'Celebrate' so I'm celebrating Snowflakes and Snow Fairies.  :-D

     That adorable fairy image is colored with ProMarkers and, instead of die cutting the image, I die cut the frame and placed it over the image.  I have to tell you that I've been hoarding the papers I used here.  They have been part of my Christmas/Winter stash for 2 years and I just love them.  I can't find them any more so I have kept them as treasured pieces, refusing to use them or give them away.  But they just fit this card so perfectly, and she's such a good friend, that I let go and used two pieces of them.

     The snowflake and snowflake buttons are also treasures but I dug them out and decided to use them.  I added dots of Artic Blue Ice Stickles to them, let them dry and then adhered them to the corners.  I used regular Stickles (Star Dust) on the flakes in the image and added Frosted Lace Stickles to the snow on the branches and cones in the image.  What a sparkly splendor!

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge -- Anything goes
All That Stickles -- Holidays w/ Stickles
Card Mania -- Fantasy
Craft Your Passion -- Let it snow
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas -- For someone special
Created with Love -- Anything goes
Cutie Pie -- Cute card for a special friend
Glitter n Sparkle -- Show some blue
LEJ Designs -- Festive fun
Lexi's Creations -- Snow
Lunagirl Moonbeams -- Snow angels
Oldie But a Goodie -- Winter
Paper Playtime -- Winter fun
Party Time Tuesday -- Winter wonderland
Passion for ProMarkers -- Use sentiment
Quirky Crafts -- Use special items (papers and buttons)
Speedy Fox & Friends -- Blue Christmas
Top Tip Tuesday -- Snowflakes
Use It Tuesday -- Winter & holiday
Vintage Stamping /Flonz Craft -- Cold and frosty colors

     Downhill to the weekend now and tonight I'm going to my granddaughter's high school concert (we used to call that a "Christmas Concert" but now we have to say Winter Festival.  Sigh...)  I hope you're able to find some calm in the midst of all the holiday hustle and bustle and maybe even find time for a bit of creating.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

What Christmas Means

     Our theme for the latest challenge at Tuesday Throwdown this week is "What Christmas Means to You."  For me, it starts with the Nativity and the Glad Tidings brought by the angels that a savior had been born.   As a child, it meant lots of Christmas cards filling up the mail box from strange and wonderful places all over the country.  One of the things my mother would do was to pin up the US map and let us put pins in the names of the cities shown in the return addresses.  Bless her school-teacher heart -- I probably learned as much about geography and the names of the states from that little tradition as I did from the classes in school.  :-D

     We have the wonderful Meljen's Designs as our sponsor and they supplied the images used by the DT.  This one, "Cheery Lights Mailbox" was perfect for honoring both the glad tidings and the childhood memories.  :-D

     This is another of those CAS cards that just looks more complicated because of the fancy frame, a die cut from Cheery Lynn Designs.   I colored the image with ProMarkers, then added some sparkle to the snow and the star with glitter.  I wish it showed better in the photo.  I guess you'll just have to take my word that it's there.

     The bow is one of those I make by the dozens and the flower was in my stash.  I printed the sentiment and added it last.  I told you it really was CAS.  One colored image and a die cut frame, two tiny embellishments and nothing else.

     Challenges:
A Creative Need -- Christmas CAS
A Creative Romance -- Sparkle at Christmas
Card Makin' Mamas -- Christmas/New Year
Cardz TV -- Winter Wonderland
Color My Heart -- Barn red
Colour Me Creative -- Holiday themed
Crafts Too Challenge You -- Natural world + flower
Crafty Calendar -- Cold & frosty
Crafty Hands -- Winter
Creative Corner -- Traditional Christmas
Digi Haven -- Christmas
DRS Designs -- Glitter it up
Hanna & Friends -- Christmas
Little Claire's -- Christmas
Pattie's Creations -- Christmas card
Quick Quotes -- Holiday card
Shelly's Images -- Welcome Winter
Stampin' for the Weekend -- Use some red
Stempelsonnen -- Merry Christmas
Wags 'n Whiskers -- Things with wings

      Another long list of Christmas or Winter themed challenges and I loved entering each one.  :-D

      Don't forget our DT Call at Tuesday Throwdown which runs until December 26.  We'd love to have you apply.  And come play in our challenge.  It's going to last for the rest of the month while the DT takes a well deserved break  You can enter up to 3 times.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie