Halloween Spooks?

      These two little Halloween critters (from Mariola Budek) don't look very spooky but they are darling, so who could resist them?  This card will go to my youngest great-granddaughter this year, her first Halloween card from Nana.  :-D

     This is one of her images which isn't done in grayscale so I had to do my own shading and highlights.  I colored the image with a combination of  ProMarkers and water colors, then used a QuicKutz die to cut the rectangle.  The corners were done with a Fiskars punch.  

     The triangle in the lower, left corner came from a scrap of Making Memories dp, and the rust CS for the card front was in my stash.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Digi Choosday

Double Trouble

Dream Valley

Get Creative

I Love ProMarkers

Jan's Digi Stamps

Pammie's

Simon Says Stamp

SUYP Cats

TTCRD

     I hope you're as charmed with Mariola Budek's art and images as I am.  I find them absolutely adorable and her sweet critters always steal my heart.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Emily & Her Penguin

      I've done so much Halloween and autumn/fall this month that I decided it was time for a bit of Christmas.  I chose this Conie Fong image called "Emily and Penguin - Braids" (she also comes with curly hair instead of braids in the same set of images.)  The sentiment is also Conie Fong.

     There's still time to enter the August/September challenge but time is running out quickly.  You really should check out the Conie Fong FB page because, in addition to the challenge, you'll find an adorable freebie!  AND all her images are on sale in September so check out the store, too.

     I used water colors on the image, then cut it with a die from Tattered Lace.  The shaped card was cut with another Tattered Lace die and the front is embossed with snowflakes.  The gingham bow was hand-tied and added to the card front.  Pretty CAS for a Christmas card.  

     Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

Double Trouble

Happy Li'l Stamper

Kerst Christmas

Rabisco

Rudolf Days

Simon Says Stamp

Sparkles Christmas

     That's all I have for today but check back tomorrow - I think I'll have another card finished by then.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Winter Bobcat

      A couple of months ago, I did a card which featured a bobcat and, in order to get the coloring right, I printed out this photo from a search I did online.  I have no idea who took the photo, nor do I remember exactly where I found it, so it's impossible for me to give credit to the photographer.  It could have come from the National Geographic website or from any of the hundreds of nature photography sites which exist.  I seriously thought about just throwing it away because of the problems with identifying the photographer but it was so beautiful, I just couldn't stand to dump it into the trash.

     If anyone knows the photographer, please let me know so that I can give proper credit.

     So, I created a simple card by cutting the picture with a QuicKutz die, then shaping the corners with a Fiskars punch.  I mounted that onto back CS, and put it on a card base.  The sentiment was done by heat embossing a Casual Friday stamp with white EP.  Clean, simple, and perfect for any occasion.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

A Perfect Time ...

Classic Design

Crafts Galore Encore

Double Trouble

Dream Valley

Let's Craft & Create

Lil Patch of ...

There's a Stamp ...

Your Scrapbook ...

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Teddy Hugs

      My card today features another image from Mariola Budek, one of my favorite artists (whom I discovered in the last year.)  I think this little girl is so sweet, hugging her teddy bear and giving (or getting) comfort.

     The image is colored with water colors, then cut with a pinpoint circle die from Dare 2B Artzy.  I inked the edges of the circle with a ProMarker.  The pale, yellow frame was cut and embossed with a die from Spellbinders.  The background dp came from Stampin' Up.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Dare 2B Artzy

LeighSB Designs

Pammie's Inky ...

Paperbabe

Penny's Paper-Crafty

TTCRD

Word Art Weds

     If you're having one of those days, find your teddy and give him a hug.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Autumn Thankful

      I think this is my first Thanksgiving card this year and the image is from Star Stampz, called Fall Girl Reading, which was provided by them for the Outlawz Progressive Challenge.  I reversed the image before printing it.

     I colored with water color paints, then used 2 different dies from Spellbinders to cut the image.  The larger piece was cut from golden yellow CS and placed behind the image piece itself.  I layered that onto a kraft card base.  The die cut was so detailed by itself that I didn't feel it was necessary to add any embellishments.  I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die, keeping the entire card as CAS as possible.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Art Impressions

Colour Crazy

Craftlandia

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Gals Corner

Di's Digi Designs

Double D

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Summer's End

      It's the end of summer and all the vacationers are heading home.  Airports are filled, train terminals are jammed with people and luggage, even the highways are clogged with cars and trucks burdened with suitcases, backpacks, and boxes of souvenirs loaded into the trunk or tied onto the roof rack.

     This sweet image is from the Progressive Challenge at LeAnn's World and it's perfect for today's Heading Home theme.  I colored with ProMarkers, and used Memory Box dies to cut  both the image and the embossed frame piece ('Linen' EF.)  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The butterfly background dp was a scrap in the basket.

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Crafty Hazelnut's

Die Cut Divas

Leigh SB Designs

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paper Dragonfly

Paper Funday

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

When Witches Fly

      I'm a total fan of Beccy's Place images and love trying new things with them.  I've used this fun flying witch silhouette (which may now be retired since I can't find it in the store) several times but this is the first time I've fussy cut it with scissors and used it with various Halloween die cuts.

     I printed the silhouette on white CS, then cut it with small scissors, leaving a very narrow, white rim around the witch.  That helped her to stand out from the background.  The background was done with water colors.  The moon and the two largest bats on the moon were cut with a die from Die-Versions.  The smallest bat on the moon and the 2 in the sky were cut using an Impression Obsession die.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  I used a gray ProMarker to make the shadows on the moon.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Di's Digi Designs

Double Trouble

Friendship

Happy Little ...

Incy Wincy

Outlawz Monday

Polkadoodles

Two Old Bats

     Have a spooky day!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Over the Fence

      I'm really excited about today's card !  The image (a grayscale, digital coloring book page, reduced in size) of this curious cat peeking over the fence into the neighbor's yard reminds me so much of my sweet Cleo (who passed over the Rainbow Bridge in 2015.)   She was one of my favorite feline fur babies ever.  She was primarily a house cat but on those few occasions when she begged to go outside, she had such a curiosity about everything around her.  However, she was still a bit fearful of anything other than her own yard.  She wasn't a cat to wander about, much preferring the security of her own fenced back yard.  But she did love to climb the fence for a peep out into the world beyond, even when that "world" was only the neighbor's yard next door.

     So, this card celebrates the best of her curiosity and brings warm memories of her flooding into my mind.  The image was colored with water colors, then cut with a Tonic Studios die.  The green CS in the background was dry embossed with my 'Linen' embossing folder.  The squares of dp are from Your Next Stamp and they were scraps left in the basket from another project.  I cut them with a Spellbinders die.  They perfectly fit this color combo.

     The sentiment was printed and cut with a die from Avery Elle.  I inked the edges of both the sentiment and the image before layering them onto the background.  For a tiny bit of embellishment, I added the three gems in the upper corner and called it finished.

     Challenges:

Can You Handle ...

Classic Design

Colour Crazy

Crafts Galore Encore

Crafty Hazelnut's

Dare 2B Artzy

Happy Little Stamper

Polkadoodles

SheepSki Designs

SUYP Cats

Your Next Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

National Dance Day

      Did you know that today is National Dance Day?  I knew there was such a thing but I never remember what day of the year it is.  I do usually remember that it's some time in September.  Anyway, my card today celebrates the day with a Vienna Waltz.  :-D

    Everything on this card was done with scraps from the basket.  The image is an svg file and the image background was cut with a die from my very first Spellbinders set, basic squares.  The cutwork portion of the black card front was cut with a Memory Box die.  In keeping with my use of scraps, I used three of the bits which fell out of that cutwork to make the embellishments on the image piece.  I added tiny gemstones to those 3 bits.  The bow is one of my signature bows, sewn by hand and with a pearl added.  How's that for a perfect monochromatic, scrap card?

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Festive Fri

Pammie's Inky ...

Paperbabe

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

Your Next Stamp

     Happy Dance Day, whatever type of dancing you love.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tea Time with Friends

      It's the 15th of September and time for another "Anything Goes" challenge at QKR Stampede.  I've done a fun DT card on which I combined two different QKR images; Tea Time Rabbit (reversed) and First Morning Cup.  I thought it was a perfect way to focus on tea with friends.  Aren't they adorable?

     The images were colored with water colors, then cut with QuicKutz dies.  The deep pink frames were cut with dies from Cottage Cuts.  After cutting the frames, I dry embossed them with my "Linen" EF.  The purple CS used for the background was also embossed with that same EF.

     My hand-sewn, signature style, bow is actually deep purple, not black.  It was white but I used a ProMarker to 'dye' it.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, then matted with a scrap of the pink CS.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Digi Choosday

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Paperbabe

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

Taylormade ...

TTCRD

Word Art Weds

     Remember, in our challenges you may use any image from any company but if you choose to use a QKR Stampede image (or one from our sister company, Eureka Stamps), your entry goes into a completely separate random draw and that increases your chance to win by a huge amount.  Last challenge, nobody used a QKR image and if you had entered using one, you would have been the automatic winner!  Check out the images in the store.  You're going to find something and fall in love.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

It's a Cat Birthday!

      I started coloring this Hetty Clare image back in the early spring, giving each kitty a different fur color but, with only that much done, I set it aside and it got buried in the pile of "to be completed" projects.  Shortly after that, I got sick and was hospitalized, suffered the vision problems which kept me from coloring for a couple of months, and when I found this one in the pile yesterday, I knew it was time to finish it.  After all, I'm on a very determined streak to get birthday cards finished and into the stash for the upcoming months between now and the end of the year which are filled with family birthdays.

     I pretty sure the kitties were colored with ProMarkers but the words and the balloons were done using water color paints.  I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders.  The purple background was dry embossed with my 'Linen' folder.  The little purple bow was hand-sewn and I used a purple pearl in the center.

     Challenges:

Dare 2B Artzy

Digi Choosday

Dragonfly Dreams

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's Inky ...

Paperbabe

Pattie's Creations

Simon Says Stamp

SUYP Cats

     Have a wonderful day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sunflower Pumpkin

      Today I'm sharing another DT card for Conie Fong and this one features a gorgeous (and fun to color) new image called "Sunflower Pumpkin."  It comes in either a .png version or in jpg and it's ON SALE!  I used the .png version and I merged in 1 individual pumpkin on the left side of the image, reversed.  The sentiment is also by Conie Fong and comes with the set.  I merged it below the image before printing.

     I used water color paints and ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a stitched die from CUTplorations.  I inked the edges of the image with a ProMarker.  The background paper was a scrap I found in the basket which had perfect autumn colors in it which enhanced the image.  I'm pretty sure it was from a DCWV scrapbooking stack.

     The bow was hand-tied and 'dyed' orange with ProMarkers.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

CRAFT-alnica

I Love ProMarkers

LeAnn's World

Let's Craft & Create

Not 2 Shabby

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paper Funday

Rabisco

Word Art Weds

     Come play in our challenge!  You can use any Conie Fong image and there are even freebies available on the Challenge site on FB if you don't already have some in your collection.  

 

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Waiting for the Witch

      Another Halloween card today and this one was made specifically for a neighbor and friend who brought the silhouette image to me, asking me to create a card for her to give to her young grandson.  It was on plain white paper when I received it.  The image may have been done with a stencil but I'm basing that on nothing more than the way the ink was applied to the image.  It may well have been a rubber stamp with ink blotted on the lighter side.  All I really know is that the ink was very, very dry when she brought it over and it didn't smear when I used alcohol markers on it.

     I colored the sky and the cat's eyes with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut the image using a Spellbinders die.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The little pumpkins were cut with a die from Impression Obsession and the moon was done with a Die-versions die.  The bats on the moon are part of that Die-versions die.  Everything was put on a black CS background.

     Since the card is for a boy, I left it very CAS - no ribbons, no sparkle, no gems, no bows.

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Die Cut Divas

Dies R Us

Friendship

Happy Little Stampers

Paperbabe

The Four Seasons

This is Halloween

Two Old Bats

World Wide Open

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bluebonnets for a Texan

    I have three grandchildren who were born in Texas, to say nothing of several friends who live there.  I have always thought of the Texas state flower, the Bluebonnet - from the lupin family, as one of the most fascinating flowers.  I'm just now learning to color them and I have a long ways to go before I achieve perfection, but I used this image for a Texas birthday card.  :-D

     Colored with water colors, and cut with a QuicKutz die.  The sentiment was also cut with a small die from QuicKutz.  All the paper stripes were scraps bits from the basket.  I used my 'Linen' embossing folder on the navy blue and cranberry pieces before layering them onto an an aqua card front.  

     The patterned ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and I used sheer ribbon to sew one of my signature bows with a pearl.

     Challenges:

Butterfly (Wisteria & Wild Blue Yonder)

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspirations

Creative Knockouts

Leigh SB Designs

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Pattie's Creations

Penny's Paper-Crafty

     Have yourself a wonderful weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Decoration Day

      When I was a child, my mother always talked about "Decoration Day" in the same tones one used to say "Valentines" or "Fourth of July."  I actually thought there was a national holiday called "Decoration Day."  Once I attained adulthood and she was no longer responsible for birthday celebrations for her children, I learned that "Decoration Day" meant the day she set aside to bake and decorate the birthday cakes for the celebrations.  lol

     This image from House Mouse brings back those childhood memories.  I used ProMarkers on the image, then cut it with a Tonic Studios die.  The two layers of dp scraps were also cut with dies from Tonic Studios.  The dark, sparkly background was done using DCWV card stock on the front before adding the 3 layers in the image piece and the additional 2 layers in the sentiment piece.  I added a hand-tied, gingham bow as the final touch.

     One more card for the birthday card stash which will get used for a grandchild this fall.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Happy Little Stampers

I Love ProMarkers

Outlawz Greetings

PIP

Rabisco

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Butterfly Birthday

      Here's my first September DT card for Conie Fong.  Once again, I'm using my favorite card base, a large, square card shape; my fav because it allows so much more room for design and embellishment.  It features a delightful image called "Butterfly Princess" and the sentiment is also from that same set.  I colored the image in rich, autumn, colors using water color paints, then cut the image with a Tutti Designs die.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Unbranded die.

     The image and the sentiment pieces are backed with sparkly, holographic paper from Lawn Fawn, which I trimmed to the exact size of the die cut shapes.  For the background, I chose paper from a Recollections stack.  Both the metallic, sparkle ribbon and satin ribbon for the bow are from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I used my bow maker to tie the double loop bow.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

CRAFT-alnica

Digi Choosday

Paper Funday

Paperminutes

Penny's Paper-Crafty

TTCRD

Word Art Weds

     Remember, Conie Fong has challenges each month into which you may submit either just coloring or completed projects using Conie Fong images.  The August and September challenges have been combined into one album on the Facebook page.  Because the challenges are run on the Facebook site, you'll have to join but that's a quick and easy procedure.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Facebook Birthday

      Today's card is being sent to my grandson who turns 22 on Friday.  I decided on a card that is focused on the sentiment and I chose this sentiment from Bugaboo Stamps (I still miss them!)  I printed the sentiment onto aqua CS and I die cut it with border dies from Spellbinders.

     The texture on the white background is dry embossed with a folder from Cuttlebug.  I used my bow maker to tie the polka dot, bowtie bow, enhancing the masculine feel of the card.

     Challenges:

Can You Handle ...

Dies R Us

Dragonfly Dreams

Dream Valley

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

There's a Stamp ...

TTCRD

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Trick or Treat

     Late last week, I promised I'd have another Halloween card which featured an .svg file and here it is.  This file is also from the Silhouette Store.  I put it on orange CS and this time, I cut it with a die from Tonic Studios.  I really love the bats!  

     There are 2 background layers, one purple and one black, but beyond that, the card is totally CAS. No ribbon, no embellies of any kind, a very masculine card for a young boy.

     Challenges:

4 Season

Crafty Calendar

Di's Digi Designs

Get Creative

Lil Patch of  ... 

Pammie's Inky Pinkies

Polkadoodles

This is Halloween

TTCRD

Two Old Bats

     That's all I have for today but I'm spending this Labor Day holiday at the craft desk, coloring and layering together a few more cards so we'll just have to wait and see what else gets posted this week.  More Halloween, I'm sure, but maybe some other fall/autumn cards, too.  I have family birthdays each month from May through December and most of those come around in the fall so lots of birthday cards need to be prepared for the stash.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Meow-loween

      Something different from me this morning - an svg file from the Silhouette Store!   I put the main image on orange CS and printed the sentiment on the same CS.  I found rectangle scraps in the basket of both purple and black CS.  I lightly distressed the edges of all the CS pieces before mounting them onto a square card base.  

     I love the larger square cards because it allows you to spread out the design or enlarge designs/images since there is more space than on an A2 or a round card.  This is a fairly CAS design but it certainly says "Meow-loween" !!

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

As You Like It

Creatalicious

LeAnn's World

Simon Says Stamp

SUYP Cats

This is Halloween

TTCRD

Two Old Bats

     I'll have another Halloween post later this week and it also features an svg file.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Feeling Pretty

      I'm happy to announce that I was selected as a GDT for the Paper Dragonfly challenge and I'm using an image from All Dressed Up which I won in a previous challenge at Paper Dragonfly.  The image is called "Pretty in Plaits."

     I colored with ProMarkers and cut the image with a rectangle die from QuicKutz.  I used a Fiskars punch on 3 of the corners and a Uchida punch on the last one.  The dragonfly was hand drawn and is NOT part of the original image.  The background piece was done with water color paints and the ombre is rather subtle but can still be seen.  The sentiment was printed, then cut with an Avery Elle die.  I tied a double loop bow using my bow maker.  The wide ribbon behind the image was a scrap and I used it up on this project.  Everything on this card came from my stash - nothing new purchased.  :-D

I reversed the sketch from Sketch Saturday.

 

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Knockouts  (bow and ribbon)

Double Trouble

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of  ...

Paperbabe

Simon Says Stamp

Your Scrapbook Place

     It would be great to see you playing in the challenge this month.  I look forward to seeing your projects.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Promises

      Good Morning!  It's the first of another month and that means another "Anything Goes" challenge is starting over at QKR Stampede.  I've used an adorable QKR Stampede image called "Fingers Crossed."   The image was printed onto water color paper, then colored with water color paints.  I used a QuicKutz rectangle die to cut it and then did the corners with a Fiskars punch.  

     The plaid dp is from a Lawn Fawn stack, and the turquoise CS is from Park Lane.  Both were scraps from the basket and I ran the CS through my 'Linen" embossing folder before putting it onto the card front.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, then matted with a tiny scrap of the turquoise CS.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Classic Design

Colour Crazy

Crafty Hazelnut's

Dies R Us

Happy Little Stampers

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

Paperbabe

Star Stampz

     Don't forget, if you play along in our challenge, you may use any image from any company but if you do use a QKR Stampede image (or one from our sister company, Eureka Stamps), your entry goes into a completely separate draw for those who used QKR images and that increases your chance of winning by a huge amount!  The prize is always QKR stamps, and we always have 2 winners per month.  Come play.  We're looking forward to seeing what you create.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie