No Rectangles at Pile It On

     New challenge starting early in the morning at Pile It On and our theme is "No Rectangles."  Our wonderful sponsor is Sweet Pea Stamps and the prize package includes 4 images of the winner's choice.  I did this shaped card using one of my favorite SPS images, called "Cinders."  I know I've used her before but she's just so great for anything fall or autumn.  :-D

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then die cut it with a simple circle die (Spellbinders.)  I cut the shaped card with a hexagon die (QuicKutz) and added the dp (Perfect Prints by Forever in Time.)  I chalked the edges of the circle, added the sparkly ribbon and the sentiment, and then left it alone.  It was clearly 'done' without any further embellishment.  :-D

Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Craft Your Passion
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Cardmakers
Creative Fingers
Di's Digi Designs
Eureka Stamps
Everybody Art
Love to Scrap
Melonheadz Friends
Outlawz Greetings
Simply Papercrafts
Through the Craft Room Door

     I hope we're going to see you playing in the Pile It On challenge this fortnight.  Make something wonderful without using any rectangles and enter it into our challenge.  Remember, part of the fun is to also enter (pile on) as many challenges with that one project as you can.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Wedding White on White

     I don't do white-on-white very often but this time I was commissioned to make a wedding card and white-on-white is what seemed to be wanted so I did it.

     I did three embossed layers (Swiss Dot and Lattice by Darice) then added die cut hearts (Spellbinders) and tiny dried flowers in the peach color being worn by the bridesmaids.  The lace came from my stash and the doves are cut from sparkly CS.  I used a gem brad to attach the wing pieces to the bodies.   The "I Do" sentiment and the random pearls are stickers that I had in my stash.  Sparkly ribbon for the bow came from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

     Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
Always Playing with Paper
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Gals Corner
Crazy Challenge
Creative Moments
Inspiration Destination
Karleigh Sue
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Scrapy Land
Star Stampz (flowers, ribbon, stickers)

     I'll have another post late this evening for my DT spot at Pile It On.  New challenge starting there in the wee hours of the morning (for those of us in the western USA) so check back.  It's going to be a fun theme this time around.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Turkey Dinner?

     It's Friday again and that mean a new challenge at QKR Stampede.  Our theme for the challenge this week is "Harvest Colors."  I had just come in from tidying up my garden by tossing the old plants which were pretty brown and withered and I'm sure that influenced my color choices for this image -- mostly kraft and browns with splashes of red, yellow, and orange.

     The name of this image is "Turkey Dinner" (Digi 102) and I'm not sure whether that refers to the corn being the turkey's dinner or the turkey being Thanksgiving dinner.  :-D  Either way, the image name made for a great sentiment questioning that very thing.  

     I used my ProMarkers to color the scene, then die cut it and two CS mats with my newest rectangle stitching dies from Lawn Fawn.  The corner die cuts are by Spellbinders.  I added the little bow which is one of those I make by the dozens and toss into my stash for future use.  

     Challenges:

613 Avenue Create

Colour Your World

Corrosive Challenge

Crafting from the Heart

Craft Your Passion

Crafty Boots

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Moments

Eureka Stamps

Glitter n Sparkle

Inspiration Destination

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Simon Says Stamp

Sisterhood of Crafters

Stamp & Create
Vintage Stamping/Flonz
Whimsy Inspiration
Word Art Wednesday

     Hopefully, in another week or two, I'll be back into my daily posting routine or at least more than just a couple of times a week.  The adjustment to a life as a Type 2 diabetic is taking a while and there's so much to absorb about things to do to stay healthy in the face of that.  I'm learning it all slowly but surely.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Little Cat Witch

     The image on this card (yes, another card for Halloween because I fell in love with the image) is from Sweet Pea Stamps and it was just so much fun to color!

     I decided to stick with the usual Halloween colors and used my ProMarkers.  I die cut the image with a rectangle die from Spellbinders.  The dark background dp was cut with a stitched die from Lawn Fawn and the purple dp was cut with my newest Spellbinders die.  Ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the bow was hand tied using lace.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Allsorts
Bunny Zoe's
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts 4 Eternity
Crafty Cardmakers
Crafty Catz
Fussy and Fancy
Get Creative
Jo's Scrap Shack
Morgan's ArtWorld
Paper Girls
Stamping Boutique

     I hope the second half of your weekend is going well.  We have a gorgeous day starting and the weather is going to be no more than 80 degrees, a lovely relief from the mid- to high-90s we've had all month long.  I'm going to play outside a bit, tidying up the garden and getting it ready for winter.  Can you believe I still have 3 watermelons on the vine?  Not as big as they were in August and September but ripe enough to cut and eat.  I feel a fruit salad will be in order for dinner.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Hauling Pumpkins to the Jack-o-Lantern Carver

     I've been playing along in the Progressive challenge over at the Outlawz for nearly a year now and I love all the freebie images we've gotten over those many months.  The image for October (Gerda Steiner Designs) was no exception.  I just know this little guy is hauling all those pumpkins off to the jack-o-lantern carver to have happy or spooky faces put on them.  Personally, if it was up to me, I'd be taking them to the pie maker for pumpkin pie!  :-D

I used the sketch from the Wednesday challenge at The Outlawz.

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers and then fussy cut it.  The dp which I cut with the circle die (QuicKuts) is a digital paper from Kitten Scraps but I used chalk to color the background on it rather than leave it white.  That helped the image to stand out from the paper a bit more, as did mounting the image on dimensional dots.

     The curved strip is dp cut with two of my new curved dies from Spellbinders.  That particular paper has been in my stash for a couple of years and I think it's from a stack by DCWV.  I know I've had the Halloween ribbon for at least 3 years and couldn't begin to tell you the manufacturer if I racked my brain for an hour.

     The leaf is cut with a die from Cheery Lynn and the little flower is handmade from the bits which fell out of the scallops on the curved dp strip.   I added a small, brown pearl to the flower center.

Challenges:
4 Crafty Chicks
Artistic Inspirations
Die Cuttin' Divas
DL.ART Thankful
DRS Designs
Going Grey with Scrap Creations
Hanna & Friends
House That Stamps Built
Inky Chicks
Love to Scrap
Moving Along with the Times
Outlawz PAM
Passion for ProMarkers
Time Out

     I know I missed posting on a lot of days last week, but between classes and doctor appointments, I just didn't have any crafting time.  Next week will include some days with no posting, too, but I hope to be back to my normal routine in a couple more weeks.  It's becoming obvious that I'm going to have to cut back a little so daily posts probably won't happen for a while longer.  Hope you'll still stop by when there is something new to see.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Halloween at QKR Stampede

    QKR Stampede has some fabulous Halloween images and I could hardly wait to use this one.  Our theme this week is "Halloween" so that works perfectly.  :-D  I used Digi 16314 "Hanging" and Digi 16316 "Halloween High."

     This card was pretty simple compared to most of my QKR DT cards.  The background sky is done with watercolors and I printed the silhouette image right on top.  I printed the sentiment separately and used Lawn Fawn stitched square dies on each of them.  The bat is also a die cut; die from Impression Obsession, and I adhered only his body, lifting the wings to add a bit of dimension.  The orange ribbon came from Really Reasonable Ribbon and that's the last of it.  Will have to order more soon.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Colouring in Scrapland
Colour Your World
Crafter's Cafe
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Die Cuttin' Divas
Dies R Us
Eureka Stamps
Get Creative
Glitter n Sparkle
Inky Chicks
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Love to Scrap
Oddball Art Stamps
One Stitch at a Time
Our Crafty Corner
Paper Girls
Through the Craft Room Door

     Come play with us this week, won't you?  Remember, you are not required to use a QKR image but if you do, your card will be entered into a separate drawing just for those who use QKR images.  Your chances of winning are increased by a huge amount.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

One More Witch

     I keep telling myself I'm done with Halloween cards and then I find one more stamp or one more sentiment I just have to use... need I say more?  At least this time, I combined the image and the sentiment onto one last Halloween card.  Both of these came from a set by Sparkle n Sprinkle and I'm entering their monthly challenge with it.

     This is a single layer card and I painted the background with watercolors.  Both the image and the sentiment are done with black EP.  Fast, clean and simple.  Less than 15 minutes, including time for the watercolor to dry since I used my heat gun and then ironed it flat before doing the embossing.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Artistic Inspirations
Cards in Envy
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Moments
Di's Digi Designs
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Get Creative
Male Room
Melonheadz Friends
My Time to Craft
Not Just Cards
Pencil Case
Scrapper's Delights

     OK, I think this may be my last Halloween card but no promises if I see another image which calls out to me or threatens me with the flying monkeys.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Clowning Around

     I decided to try something I haven't done in many, many months and used this darling little clown which I got for playing in the Progressive challenge at Sweet Pea Stamps on their FB page.

I took my colors from Color Throwdown.

     Instead of my usual ProMarkers or chalk markers, I used a brush and watercolor paints.  Not as much shading detail but then that isn't what watercolors are meant to do.  Once the clown was painted, I cut it with a rectangle die from Spellbinders and adhered it to the card front.

     Then, I dug out one of my Cheery Lynn border dies and used it to cut border pieces from two different papers, both of which came from my scrap stash.  I had to trim some of the inside parts of the border because they overlapped the image far too much, making it look cluttered instead of bordered.

     I haven't decided if this is going to be a birthday card or something else but it was a fun image and I had fun digging out the watercolors.

     Challenges:
Inspiration Destination
Julia Spiri
Simon Says Stamp
Sisterhood of Crafters
Sweet Stamps
Through the Craft Room Door
Vintage Stamping/Flonz
WordArt Weds.

     Hey, it's a Saturday and we should all be sleeping in!  OK, for those of you who are like me and you awake early no matter what, sneak into the craft room and have some time just for you while everyone else is snoozing.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Cornucopia

     If you're looking for my QKR Stampede DT card, please scroll down or click here.

     When did the cornucopia become the traditional symbol of the harvest season?  I don't know the answer but I know it's universally recognized so this stamp from "From the Heart", given for their Progressive Challenge, is perfect this time of year.

                                  

I did use the colors from the challenge at Sketchy Colors.

     Fast description here:  colored with ProMarkers, die cut with a die from Spellbinders, dp from DCWV and that set of papers has been in my 'fall' stash for more than 3 years!  Ribbons also from my stash and they were scraps about to be thrown out but worked perfectly for this card design.

     Challenges:

Crafts 4 Eternity

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Digitally Sweet

Graph'It

Julia Spiri

Scrap and Craft

Star Stampz

     Have a great weekend and find some time for creativity and rest.  Your soul needs it.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Holiday Shopping

     We are starting another challenge at QKR Stampede today and our theme is "Make Your Own Background."

     For more than a month now, I've been doing fall/ Halloween/ Thanksgiving theme projects and today I'm thinking about how we'll all feel after one day in the Black Friday crush of shoppers.  Here's another card for my Christmas stash.

     This image is actually called "Couch Potato" (Digi 8503) but I added the sentiment "Shop till You Drop" (Digi 11402) and suddenly it became a Christmas Card.  :-D

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and die cut.  I hand-cut the shopping bag and popped it up on dimensional dots.  The background is made from natural fiber paper (great texture!), and I chalked the red and green Christmas colors onto it.  My final touches were the ribbon bow and the little gems on the corners of the image piece.  Pretty CAS and it really showcases that fun image.

     I'm already thinking of three more themes and sentiments for this Couch Potato, one of which has to do with Super Bowl Sunday and another for "after the meal" Thanksgiving.  I may even do something with a sun lamp and a 'baked potato' sentiment.  lol  This is going to be a very versatile image!

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
A Snowflakes Promise
Chalk n Stock
Christmas Card
Colour Your World
Country View Crafts
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting Musketeers
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Girls Creations
Crafty Ribbons
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra
Digi Choosday
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Not Just Cards
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Simply Papercraft
Winter Wonderland

     Grab some materials from your craft room, make a fabulous background, and come play in our challenge this week, won't you?  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Get Well Dragon

     I have no idea why this image from The East Wind made me think of a "Get Well" card; maybe it was the potion bottle that made me think of  'a teaspoon of medicine?'  :-D  Whatever it was, I love the dragon and I know a granddaughter who will love it, too, so I'll have a get well card in the stash if she gets sick this winter.

My sketch came from Outlawz Sketch Challenge,

turned sideways.

     I colored the image (using a favorite blue and purple color combo) with a combination of ProMarkers and Copics and, although it doesn't show, I added sparkle gel ink to the bottle.  The image is cut with a framing die from Spellbinders and the polka dot blue mat is also die cut.  I layered that onto a deep purple CS, then added the sparkly striped ribbon.  I used that same ribbon to tie the bow with my Craft-Dee BowZ bow maker.  Finally, I added the sentiment.  Can you believe everything was done with scraps from my stash, including the ribbon?

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge (polka dots on the blue dp and stripes in the ribbon)
Colouring in Scrap Land
Craft-Dee BowZ
Craft Your Passion
Crafting from the Heart
Creative Fingers
East Wind FB
Hiding in My Craft Room
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Not Just Cards
Outlawz Color
Ribbon Girl
Scrapy Land
STAMPlorations
Through the Craft Room Door
Vintage Stamping/Flonz
Whoopsi Daisy

     So, this is my second post today but I won't have one again until Friday.  I'll be off line all day tomorrow and most of Friday afternoon, but will be around for a bit early Friday morning.  Then it's the weekend!  Yay, hooray!  And that means lots of Happy Stamping.  :-D  NanaConnie

Creepy, Crawly, Spooky Halloween

     Every once in a while, in the middle of all the DT creativity I do, I get to break out and do something just for me, like play with something from A Day for Daisies.   Today is one of those days.  :-D

     If you go looking for this image, don't look for the moon in it.  I added that myself by drawing around a circle die because I thought it gave more of a Halloween/harvest look.  The image is colored with my ProMarkers and I cut it out with a die from Spellbinders.

     I took all the little leaves which fell out of the die cut, colored them, and used some of them on the embossed tree in the background.  The black lace was added and I hand cut the printed sentiment, then colored the background on it, and adhered it across both the image and the lace.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Artistic Inspirations
Cards in Envy
Classy Cards 'n Such
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Catz
Crazy Challenge
Creative Corner
Cut It Up
Eureka Stamps
Get Creative
House That Stamps Built
Love to Scrap
Melonheadz Friends
Our Crafty Corner
Pencil Case
Simply Papercraft

     No post tomorrow but I'll have another post this afternoon to make up for it.  I've used nearly all the images I took with me to the conference last week (and colored in my spare time) but I have one or two others yet to post.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Student Pilot

     Yes, I know birds learn to fly at a young age and aren't required to have a license but that's only when they use their own wings to fly.  Flying a broom like a witch is a totally different thing!  Check out the example below and you'll see what I mean about being a Student Pilot.

I used the sketch at I {Heart} Sketches (turned sideways)

and also followed their "CAS with paper strips" twist.

     That silly bird is a digi I got at From the Heart Stamps and those Bird Brains are fast becoming favorites of mine.  I used my ProMarkers to color the image then added strips cut from dp scraps and three little black gems.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments 
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Girls
Crazy 4 Challenges
Fairy Tale
If You Give a Crafter a Cookie
Oddball Art Stamps
Star Stampz

     I'm trying to get caught up on things after being gone last week so if I haven't made it over to visit your blog yet, be patient with me, won't you?  I have more classes this week and have to find time to get my car registered, have some lab work done, and still find some time for relaxation and fun in the craft room.

     There's so much to learn about diabetes and so many lifestyle changes that must be made and, at the moment, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.  But a healthier life is one of the advantageous results I expect to see so I'm ready to do whatever is required by the docs and dieticians.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Carve a Smile

     I love Doodle Pantry stamps!  This one is from a couple of years ago and I don't think I've used it before.  Shame on me!   But it's just too cute to languish in the stash any longer.

I added my sentiment to the inside, wanting to keep the outside as CAS as possible.

It's also from Doodle Pantry.  This time, I guess my "white" space is black.

I took my colors primarily from House That Stamps Built.

     

     The doily is cut with a die from Cheery Lynn, from paper by Lawn Fawn.  The bow is one of those I make myself and toss in my stash for use as needed.  It was made from white satin ribbon and I used my ProMarkers to 'dye' it the shade of purple I wanted.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Catch the Bug
Cheery Lynn Designs
Come and Get It
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting by Designs
Crafting for All Seasons
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Creations
Creative Corner
Creative Moments
Di's Digi Designs
DL.ART
DRS Designs
Fussy and Fancy
Little Miss Muffet
Mod Squad
My Time to Craft
Outlawz CAS
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Scrap and Craft
Stamping Boutique
That Craft Place
Time Out

     It's the start of  new week and for those of us in the US, we're celebrating Columbus Day today.  It's not a huge holiday as celebrations go but most of the city, county, state, and federal offices are closed, along with most of the banks and some of the schools.  Me?  I'll take any excuse to stay home and craft all day, especially after being gone a good share of last week.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Scarecrows at QKR Stampede

     I'm late posting this and I apologize.  I didn't get the post written and pre-scheduled before having to leave for the conferences I attended last week.  But at least I have it up today.

     The newest challenge at QKR Stampede started on Friday and our theme is "Scarecrows."   I used an image called "Scarecrow" Digi 8807 and Digi 15808 "Good  Friends" as the sentiment.

     Colored with my ProMarkers, die cut with a die from QuicKutz, and some sparkly ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon for texture.  Both the leaf embellie and the layers of flower petals were hand punched.  I added one small pearl to the center of the flower.

     Challenges:
Animal Friends
Ching-chou Kuik
Colour Your World
Come and Get It
Country View Crafts
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Creatalicious
Dies R Us
Lia Stampz
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Mod Squad
Papertake Weekly
Petal Lu
Your Scrapbook Place

     I know it's a short post but since I'm so late getting it up...   Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Let's Play Army

     My grandson just turned 9 and he wanted to do an Army theme for his party.  My daughter has a friend who's a Sgt. in the National Guard, and she brought all kinds of gear and desert camo stuff for decorating, including a bivouac tent, cots, and sleeping bags.  Everyone showed up wearing some kind of camo clothing.

     We made MREs (Meals, Ready to Eat) for each child, filled with typical birthday treats.  We also made up door prize bags for each kid to take home.  They ran and played Nerf Dart tag, then divided into teams and competed with each other on treasure hunts and other games.

     In keeping with the military theme, I did this card with an adorable image from Bugaboo Stamps.

I pulled my colors from Paper Sweeties

because they made it easy to do the camo and the boots.

     A really CAS design, colored with my ProMarkers, but perfect for his birthday.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug
Colour Your World
Come and Get It
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Friends  (Happy Birthday, obviously)
Digistamps 4 Joy (birthday, boy)
Glitter n Sparkle
Going Grey w/ Scrap Creations
Jo's Scrap Shack
Little Red Wagon
Petal Lu

     Hope your week is going well.  We're at the halfway point and soon it'll be the weekend again when we can all get some craft time in.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Alice in Halloween-land

     I had some wonderful inspiration for this card, not the least of which are some early childhood memories of Halloween and costumes.  Once I was beyond the age where my mom chose my costumes and dressed me for Halloween Trick or Treating, my first demand for a costume was to be Alice in Wonderland.  Don't ask me why -- my First Grader's thought process is not part of my memory.

     But my mother dutifully sewed an "Alice" costume for me from some blue and yellow fabrics she had on hand (no, there weren't any costume stores back in those days - we made our own.)   The following year, I still wanted to be Alice and fortunately, the costume still fit, although it was a bit short.  By Third Grade, when I wanted to be Alice again, my mom had to let out a couple of seams and add a ruffle to the hem so that the jumper would be long enough.  And there it ended.  By Fifth Grade, I'd had a growth spurt and no amount of costume alteration would let me wear it one more time.  But I still remember my first costume and whenever someone mentions Alice in Wonderland, I always think of Halloween.  Probably nobody else associates those two things, but I do.

     So this card, with a great "Alice" image by Rick St, Dennis, is a salute to childhood Halloween, even if it's done in the blue and yellow of my first costume instead of the traditional Halloween colors.  :-D

     I colored her with my ProMarkers but the background behind her is done with powdered chalks, applied with a cotton swab.  This is my second attempt at doing black hair and, while it's better than my first attempt, I still have lots to learn.  Practice, practice, practice.  :-D

     The scallops are done with a border die from Cheery Lynn and because they are a separate piece, I had to adhere them to the sides of the rectangles.  I added the sentiment and then left it alone to show off those wonderful scallops.

     Challenges:
Artistic Inspirations
Chalk n Stock
Cheery Lynn Designs
Crafting by Designs
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Inspiration Destination
Jo's Scrap Shack
My Time to Craft
Outlawz Coloring Friday
Rick St. Dennis Progressive
Stamping Boutique
Wags n Whiskers
WordArt Weds.

     OK, enjoy your day and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie     

Spooked on Halloween

     When I found this image at Sweet Pea Stamps, I knew I'd use it over and over again.  This time, I thought it would make a great Halloween card but I can also see it for a general autumn card, or Thanksgiving, or even a card about mice or other unexpected things.  :-D

I started this card with inspiration from Sweet Sketch Weds. 2

but did just the bow instead of a ribbon across the middle.

     The only coloring this time was on the little mouse and her eyes, both of which were colored with ProMarkers.  I really liked the pencil sketch look of this image and wanted those muted colors that we see after the garishly-hued leaves have all dropped and died in the late fall.  The image and the sentiment were printed directly onto the card front so what looks like a mat of brown CS behind the image is actually layered on top of the image and a window is cut so the image shows.

     I didn't know I was going to do a frame around the image when I printed the card front and it was a challenge just getting the window cut in the right spot.  Not only did I have to get the image framed, I had to make sure the sentiment still showed.  That's a process I'll think all the way through before trying it again.  :-D  I added three score lines at the top for a little texture and interest.

     It wasn't until I was editing the photograph that I noticed the misprint on the sentiment.  I corrected the missing stem on the "p" in 'Spooked' with a black ink pen but couldn't correct the photograph and didn't have time to photograph it again..

     Challenges:
ArtbyMiran
Crafty Girls Creations
Creative Corner
Digital Delights
Dragons Lair Designs
Hiding in My Craft Room
House That Stamps Built
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Simon Says Stamp
Simply Papercraft
Sisterhood of Crafters
Stamping Boutique
Sweet Pea Stamps Progressive Challenge
Whimsy Inspiration

     OK, I may be a bit absent off and on this week.  I do have a post for tomorrow and for Friday but I'm not sure what else I may get done.  I'm busy with diabetes classes and will be out of town a couple of days in the middle of that, but I'll see what else I might be able to do.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Snowflakes are Winter's Butterflies

     Another Sunday morning and another challenge starts at Pile It On.  We have a 1, 2, 3 recipe for you this week, meaning that we want to see 1 of something, 2 of something else, and 3 of something else.  You get to choose what those things are.  I chose 1 bow, 2 mats of CS behind my image, and 3 different ribbons.

     Our sponsor is Stitchy Bear and they generously provided images for the DT.   I used a new one called "Snowflake Butterflies" and the sentiment that came with it.

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers and added a bit of sparkle to the snowflakes with a gel pen.   I die cut the image, plus two CS layers for mats.  I went shopping this week and bought new ribbons, so three of those made their way onto the card.  Finally, I added the little bow which  is one of those I make by the dozen and toss in my stash.  Like the majority of my other bows, this was made from white ribbon and I 'dyed' it with my markers to get the exact share of blue I wanted.

Challenges:

A Snowflakes Promise

Aud Sentiments

Crafting by Designs

Crafty Ribbons

Die Cuttin' Divas 

Digi Choosday

Fan-Tastic Tuesday 

Fresh Brewed 

House That Stamps Built 

Inspiration Destination 

Star Stampz 

Through the Craft Room Door 

     This challenge runs for two weeks and we'd love to see you playing along with us.  Remember, you can enter as many times as you like and we strongly encourage you to "Pile On" the challenges, as many as you can.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie   

Owls

     The image on this card is a freebie from TLC Creations in honor of World Card Making Day.  Since I spent the majority of the day with family while we celebrated my grandson's birthday, I didn't have much time to make cards.  This one was a late evening effort and I rather like it.  Thanks, TLC!

     I colored it with ProMarkers, cut it with a die from QuicKutz, and added two mats before layering it onto a white card base.  The feathers were in my stash and the bow is one of those I make and keep in my stash for future use.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Allsorts
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Calendar
Creative Moments
I {heart} ProMarkers
Male Room
Melonheadz Friends
Mod Squad
Scrapper's Delights

     Have a great second half of the weekend.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Pumpkins and Pie

     One of the really great things about Thanksgiving when I was a child was the pumpkin pie!  For some reason, we rarely had it the rest of the year but Thanksgiving was a guarantee that the lovely, orange-y, nutmeg-spicy pie would be there, just waiting for a first bite.  It was my favorite pie back then and remains so all these years later.  :-D  My card today celebrates that annual occasion.

I used this sketch from Tuesday Morning  Sketches.

     I colored the image with chalk markers and made a background sky and clouds by coloring with gel inks.  (I'm totally crazy about all these Bird Brain images by From the Heart Stamps!)  I added gold and silver glitter to the moon and gold glitter to the embossed pumpkin embellie.  The papers are from Lawn Fawn and I rounded the corners on the image and the mat with a punch.  The 'raffia' ribbon is actually a strip of plastic bag, wrapped  around the card front and scrunched on a piece of  3/8s double stick tape.  The bow is made from glitter-striped ribbon, tied with my bow maker.

     Challenges:
Cardz for Guyz (moon)
Chalk n Stock
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Clear It Out
Crafting with an Attitude
Craft-Dee Bowz
Crafty Boots
Crafty Cardmakers
Jo's Scrap Shack
Julie Spiri
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Quick Quotes
Scrap and Craft

     I'm off to my daughter's house where the whole family and about a dozen 8 and 9 year olds are going to celebrate my grandson's birthday.  Have a great weekend.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Gnome Man as Santa

     New challenge at QKR Stampede this morning and our theme is everybody's favorite, "Anything Goes" so I took advantage of that to get one more Christmas card done for the stash.  I used Digi 4201 "Gnome Man" and Digi 15710 "Name Ain't There" for the sentiment.

     All it took to turn him from a plain gnome into Santa was to color him in red.  :-D  I used ProMarkers and chalks, and die cut him with a die from Spellbinders.  The dp is a left over scrap from my stash.  I made the candy cane with recycled white and red wires, twisted together and curved into the cane shape.  The bow is tied from red cord.  It's a CAS design and I really like it.  This one will be easy to mail come holiday time.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps and More
Aud Sentiments
A Snowflakes Promise
Christmas Cards
Come and Get It
Crafting from the Heart
Eureka Stamps
Fab 'n Funky
Holly Jolly Christmas
Robyn's Fetish

     That's all I  have for today but I did do another post late last night; if you missed it, be sure to check it out, too.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Mums and Butterflies

     It's time for the next monthly challenge over at Pattie's Creations and our new theme is "Fall or Halloween."  In honor of a new month and a new challenge, I bought a new type of die (new for me) and used it for the first time.  It's a reverse die, by Memory Box, meaning that when you use it, you have the negative space showing instead of the cut out piece.  Check out these butterflies.

I used the sketch from Sketch Saturday as my start

(using the butterflies as my diagonal)

and took the colors from Catch the Bug

and Crafting for all Seasons.

     

   
     The image is called Pumpkin Watering Can with Mums and I love it!  It was fantastic to color and I used a die from Spellbinders to frame it.  The sentiment is mine.  I used two different colors of CS, both of which have been embossed with my 'Linen' folder.

     I chose glitter-striped ribbon to add some sparkle, put a few pearls on the butterflies, and finally added a little bling to the bottom corner.  Do I even need to tell you that I LOVE this card?  :-D

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
A Gem of a Challenge
Classy Cards n Such
Colour Your World
Crafting by Designs
Craft Your Passion
Die Cuttin' Divas
Dream Valley (Top row)
Little Claire's
Not Just Cards
Pencil Case
Through the Craft Room Door

     I have no idea how much crafting I'm going to get done this upcoming week.  I have some doctor appointments, some classes related  to Type 2 Diabetes, and am also going to be out of town for a couple of days during the week.  I'll get my DT work done and pre-scheduled but may not have much else to post.  I'll play it by ear and see what gets done.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie