Spring Birthday

      We're at the mid-way point in our current challenge at FarmQuest where our theme this fortnight is "Bird Nests or Bird Houses" and, of course, every challenge entry must always feature a farm or country feel.  This time, I've done a second card using an image from Jan's Digi Stamps (now closed - sniff sniff) called Early Spring Nest.  I love this image!  I just know those are robin's eggs in the nest.  :-D

     I colored the image with Sanjoki and ProMarkers, then cut the image with a Cottage Cutz die.  I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die.  The background paper is a scrap from an old DCWV scrapbooking stack.  Pretty CAS overall, though it looks more complex because of the background.

     Challenges:

     Please come play with us during this upcoming week.  We love being inspired by what you create and enter.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Best Friend

      I'm featuring another image by Mariola Budek on this card today and, as you can probably tell from a quick perusal of my blog, I love cats and consider them to be appropriate "best friends."  :-D  I fell in love with this darling image and knew I had to use it.

     The image was colored using my Sanjoki alcohol markers, then cut with one of my oldest Spellbinders rectangle dies.  I used a Fiskars punch on the corners.  The butterfly was a leftover from another project but had been cut with a Cottage Cutz die.  The background  was made from a scrap of dp, embossed with a folder from Taylored Expressions.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut, then inked around the edges.

     Challenges:

Butterfly (Heather, Highland, Hawk's Blue)

Can You Handle ...

Digi Choosday

Di's Digi Designs

Dragonfly Dreams

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Thurs

Pammie's IP

Passion for Markers

SUYP Cats

     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

Apple Snacks

      It's time to start another challenge at QKR Stampede and the theme is always Anything Goes.     

      I was having a text conversation with a young teenager shortly before I started making this card and we were talking about the kinds of things people could accomplish in just 5 minutes.  Half way down her list, she said she could eat an apple in 5 minutes.  That triggered the sentiment on this card. lol

     Both images are from our sister company, Eureka Stamps, and they are called "Apple" and "Apple Core" of course.  :-D  Most of the images from either QKR or Eureka are available in both rubber and digital, whichever your preference.  They are also amazingly priced without any need for sales.  Typically, digis run about $2 and rubber comes in at $3 to $3.50.

     I printed the images together, but used a die from Cottage Cutz to cut them into rounded, stitched squares.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  I used ProMarkers to color the stems, leaves, and apple flesh on the core image.  The chevron dp was a scrap from the basket and I'm sure it originally came from a Recollections stack.  I know this is pretty CAS but once I had the images laid out on top of the scrap dp and put the sentiment on top of that, it just looked 'finished' so I adhered everything and left it without embellishment.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Carlin's Card Paradise

Classic Design

Crafts Galore Encore

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

Passion for Markers

TTCRD

     I hope you're going to come and play with us this week.  Remember, it's Anything Goes and you can win delightful images from QKR Stampede!  See you there.  NanaConnie

Noel for Benny

      This is my second DT card for Conie Fong using an image from the "Benny's Christmas" set, and the set just happens to be On Sale for a few more days!  This time I used the image with the adorable long-eared pup in it.

     The coloring was done with water color paints and a fine-line brush.  I'm getting better at controlling where the paint goes and how much I apply but water colors do have a mind of their own, especially when the image is printed onto water color paper.  

     I used dies from QuicKutz to cut the image and the red mat.  The dp is from an old Doodlebug stack which I've had maybe as much as 3 years so don't go looking for it in your local craft store.  The ribbon is metallic and I used it for both the wrap around the card front and to make the hand tied bow.  The 'Noel' sentiment was cut with a Cottage Cutz die.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Creatalicious

Creative Moments

Dare 2B Artzy

Double Trouble

Lil Patch of ...

Papercraft

Peace on Earth

There's a Stamp for ...

World Wide DT Open

     That's it for today but I have one or two more to post this week so be sure to stop by and check things out.  I'm slowly getting back into my routine of posting nearly every day but, because of the vision issues, it still takes me a lot of time to get images colored and ready to turn into a completed project.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Inside and Out

      Each month I play in the progressive challenge at The Outlawz and this month the image (Claudia's Plant) was generously supplied by SheepSki Designs.  I added another SheepSki image, called Winter Deer, so that I could show a wintery scene through the window.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut out the window frame with a die from Cottage Cutz.  The plant has been fussy cut and that was no easy chore.  :-D  When I added it to the card front, I glued only the pot and one leaf so there is some lovely dimension to the plant which shows so much more IRL than in the photo.  The two sentiment pieces were cut with dies from Avery Elle.  The background (card front) has been dry embossed with my 'Linen' EF.

     Hours after I finished the card, I kept looking at it and wishing I had put the plant on a table instead of the floor but it's too late now.  Maybe next time.  In any case, it was  fun way to use a tropical plant on a winter Christmas card.

     Challenges:

Christmas Crafts AYR  (W = window)

Colouring In Scrapland

Creative Crafting Uncles (wood on window frame)

Die R Us

Dream Valley

Friendship

Ike's World

Inspiration Station (wood on window frame)

SheepSki Designs

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Is it a Pond or a Puddle?

      I'm sharing with you my first DT card for Angie's Digital Stamps and this darling little girl, playing in the (is it a pond or a puddle?) is called Daisy Mae Playing in Water.  Isn't she superb?  :-D  The  theme for our fun challenge is "Anything Goes" but you may use the twist of "Fall Colors" if you like.

     I colored with my favorite ProMarkers, then cut her with a square die from Cottage Cutz turned 'on point', as they say in quilting.  The square of purple CS was a scrap I found in the basket and it worked so perfectly with the dots in her dress that it simply had to decorate the card front.  I printed out the sentiment, cut it with a QuicKutz rectangle die, and added it to the CS just below where I had printed the first part of the sentiment using white gel pen.

     I added a few wraps of sparkle twine tied into a bow to finish it.  The background is ombre on water color paper.  Although it has quite few pieces, it still looks rather clean if not completely simple.  :-)

     Challenges:

Addicted to CAS

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Sentiments

Dare 2B Artzy

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Greetings

Passion for Markers

Taylormade ...

TTCRD 

     Please come and play in our challenge this month.  We love seeing what you create and you could win some fabulous images from Angie's.  :-D   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sowing vs Reaping

      We're all familiar with the phrase "Reap what you sow" but this cute image from House Mouse Stamps makes me wonder about the wisdom of a tiny mouse sowing Catnip seeds!   If, indeed, he reaps what he sows, he may have a field full of cats which isn't really what a mouse would want!  On the other hand, maybe he's just warm and neighborly and believes in taking care of all creatures, friends or foes.  

      Or maybe he's like me and any excuse will do to get out into the garden, my favorite place to be!  :-D

Colors chosen from Color Dare challenge.

Canary/ Mink/ Blue Belle/ Ivy Green w a neutral of Brown

Colored with ProMarkers  

   (my fav coloring medium because of the way they blend)

Cut w Lawn Fawn die

Matted w Cottage Cutz die cut

Texture burlap scrap

Plaid paper from Your Next Stamp stack

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Watering Can charm

Fiber bow

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Crafty Sentiments

Creative Fingers

Cute Card Thurs

Cutie Pie

House Mouse

Lawn Fanatics (used LF die)

Simon Says Stamp

TTCRD

     I think I'll get away from the computer and go play in the garden for a bit.  The weather this morning is a perfect balance of warm and still cool enough to be comfortable outside but that is slated to change drastically this afternoon and over the Memorial Day weekend.  We'll be in the mid to high nineties later today and they are predicting a 5 day (or more) run of temps over 100 F starting on Monday.  Yuck!  I guess summer is officially here even though the calendar says it's still 3 weeks away.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

'Til the Cows Come Home

      "...'til the cows come home" was part of my childhood.  Both of my parents loved the phrase and would put it behind nearly any admonition to finish doing something or in answer to every child's "Are we there yet?"  The answer was usually something like "We're going to drive 'til the cows come home," "I want you to run 'til the cows come home,"  "You must study 'til the...."  Well, you get the idea.  When I saw this silly little cow from Bugaboo Stamps, I giggled and browsed through all those childhood memories.  :-D

Calf and Barn images merged

Sentiment printed w image

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Cottage Cutz stitched die

Satin edge, sheer ribbon from RRR

Metal brads

CAS masculine design

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Catch the Bug

Colour Crazy

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Catz

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR

Paper Shelter

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Spooky Spider

      Many of you know that since they restarted in March, I've been trying to play along in the monthly (2nd of Month to 28th) "Anything Halloween Goes" challenges at Two Old Bats, a challenge dedicated to year-round Halloween.  I was invited to be a Guest Designer this month and I'm thrilled to share with you a card I made using an image a friend sent to me last fall when I was still suffering from the loss of all my digital images.  Unfortunately, I have no idea who drew the image so can't give full and proper credit.

     The first thing you should know is that I HATE spiders!  They are just so creepy.  My phobia is so bad, I can't even stand to look at pics of them!  But this one is kinda cute with his goofy smile and crossed eyes.  :-D

This is my take on the sketch at Crafty Friends.

Colored w/ water colors & ProMarkers

Cut w/ Cottage Cutz die

Matted w/ white CS scrap - hand-trimmed corners

Sentiment printed and hand cut, mounted on Pop Dots

Mesh 'ribbon' w glitter added

Embossed card front

Tiny spider & cat each stamped on acetate

       (colored w/ 'puff' gel pens)

     Challenges:

A Bit More Time...

Classic Design

Crafter's Cafe

Crafts Galore ...

Creatalicious

Digi Doodle Studios

World Wide Open

Your Scrapbook Place

     I hope you'll take time away from your Spring cards this month and play with something Halloween, then come and enter it into our challenge.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Hyacinths

     Hyacinths are some of my favorite flowers, both for the garden and as 'forced' blooms in a kitchen window.  My card today has a vintage image of hyacinths, printed in gray scale, and colored by hand.  It came from an old magazine (really old, specifically "The Garden Journal" November, 1920) and I scanned it, saved it as a jpg file, then printed it and adjusted the size to fit what I wanted for my card.

Colored w/ ProMarkers
Image cut w/ Spellbinders die
Shaped card base cut w/ QuicKutz die
Butterfly cut w/ Cottage Cutz die
Signature bow w/ pearl

     Challenges:
Art Sandbox
Arty Divas
Colour Crazy
Creatalicious
Die Cut Divas
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Passion for ProMarkers
Star Stampz
TTCRD

NOT Merry & Bright !

     Day 5 of the CIJ week at Catch the Bug and since it's Wednesday, we get to use Humor, a theme which I love.  This crabby cat is from Bugaboo Stamps and what could be more perfect?

Colored w/ ProMarkers
SnowTex added to ground
   (it sparkles but that's hard to see in the photo)
Image cut w/ Cottage Cutz die
Sentiment printed & cut w/ QuicKutz die
Papers are scraps from the basket
Gold metallic ribbon
Bow tied using bow maker

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Country View
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Hazelnut's
Double Trouble (fav tool = dies)
Ike's World
Paper Girls
SUYP Cats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Gnome Road

     I've always smiled at gnomes; they seem such an engaging sort of creature.  But a few years back when my blogging buddy, Linda - http://lindasimpsoncraftypieceofheaven.blogspot.com/ - revealed that her hubby really loves gnomes, I sent him a gnome card I had made.  For some reason from that point on, I began looking at gnomes differently, with more appreciation and joy over them.  They are now a close rival to dragons (yes, even pocket dragons) in my affections and I search artists for gnomes quite often.

     This gnome, from Mo's Digital Pencil, seemed rather wise in the ways of tramping the world's roads so I paired him with that Mo's sentiment.  This card will be going to a grandson for his 21st birthday, that magical age when all roads seem possible.  :-D

Colored w/ ProMarkers and water color pencils
Cut w/ stitched die from Cottage Cutz
Scrap dp for background
Jute cord, 2 colors, wrapped and tied

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Colouring in Scrapland
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Sentiments
Get Creative
Outlawz PAM
Paperminutes
TTCRD

     I hope you are having a marvelous weekend.  Take some time for yourself and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

December Challenge at Brown Sugar

     Good morning and happy Friday morning.  We're starting a new monthly challenge today over at Brown Sugar.  Our sponsor this month is The Paper Shelter and they supplied us with an image set called "Holy Night."  Paper Shelter is having a sale this month and the image we all used is included in the sale.

     Interestingly enough, I used this very same image for a DT card last month but with a different team.  You can see what I did for them by clicking this LINK.  Rather than duplicate something I had just done, I decided to use the beautiful background that came with the set and build a scene on top of it with die cut deer and Liquid Pearls.

Background paper from The Paper Shelter (Holy Night digi set)
Cottage Cutz dies for deer - colored w/ metallic ProMarkers
Sentiment cut with Die-versions dies
Liquid Pearls for deer hoof prints in the snow
Snowflake cut with Art Impressions die
Blue rhinestone added to snowflake center

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Dare 2B Artsy
Dream Valley
Incy Wincy
Outlawz SAR
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp & Show
Sparkles Christmas
Tales from the Craft Room
Your Scrapbook Place

     I hope we're going to see you playing along with us this month.  This is my last month on the Brown Sugar DT but I'll be visiting many of you before the month ends.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Butterfly Kitten

     You mean you didn't know that fairies have kittens?  They do.  Look at this image from Paper Shelter and you'll see they have butterfly kittens!  :-D  What a delightful fantasy concept.

Colors inspired by House that Stamps Built.

Colored with ProMarkers
Glitter on the wings
Image & frame cut with Cottage Cutz pinpoint die
Border cuts with Spellbinders die
Paper from the scrap basket
Hand sewn bows w/ pearls

     Challenges:
Butterfly  (Kobe hair)
Cut It Up
Double D
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Polkadoodles
Scrappy Land
Southern Girls

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Lazy Days of Summer

     I absolutely adore this image from Polkadoodles!  What a great image for a summer card. 

ProMarkers for coloring
QuicKutz die for the image
Cottage Cutz die for the cork frame
Sheer ribbon

     Challenges:
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Digi Choosday
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Paper Funday
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.

     That's all I have for today.  NanaConnie

Shared Umbrella

     This lovely image from LeAnn's World 101 Progressive Challenge is perfect for an April/Spring card and is also great for a friendship card.

I chose 4 colors from Color My Heart #340; 

Lagoon, Sapphire, Ballerina & Smoothie

     I colored with ProMarkers, then used a Lawn Fawn die to cut the image and the largest square of background dp.  The orange (Smoothie) dp plus the Sapphire square were cut with Cottage Cutz dies.  I layered all of those together creating layers.

     I printed the sentiment, matted it with a tiny scrap of navy blue CS, and added it below the image piece.  I decided on 3 tiny metal brads, putting those into the corner, and 3 crystal raindrops, which I put on the image itself.  I've had a long run recently of using kraft CS for card bases and I'm really liking the effect.  It seems to make everything on top of the kraft 'pop.'

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Crafty Catz
Crafty Gals Corner
Cute Card Thurs
House that Stamps Built
LeAnn's World 101
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds.
Words to Craft By

     Have yourself a fabulous weekend and do lots of Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tulips Mean Spring

     Hey, did you know the Mo's Digital Pencil challenge was back?  It's an "Anything Goes" theme with an optional twist of "Spring."  This darling image (called Boo and Tulips) is an older one but you can still find it in the shop.  It's perfect for a spring theme but could work for nearly anything.  I'm using it for a birthday card for my SIL who has a May birthday and who loves kittens.

     Even the briefest of glances around my blog sidebar will tell you that I love cats!  I disagree with every person who says cats are aloof and unresponsive.  I agree that some of them have "attitude" but it's the very thing I love most about them. 

     I love that when a cat attaches to a human, it's forever and it's completely unrelenting.  My cats follow me around the house when I move from room to room, insist on sleeping right beside me on the bed at night, and have their own favorite spaces in the craft room which they occupy whenever I'm in there.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers, then used a Cottage Cutz die to cut out the image.  I printed the sentiment and used another Cottage Cutz die to cut it.  I had to adjust the placement of the die and cut twice to get the size and shape I needed but it worked.

     I found periwinkle CS to make the card base and ran the front side through my 'Linen' embossing folder.  I wanted something really CAS so I adhered the image and the sentiment pieces and then left it totally alone - no embellishment at all.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Coloring in Scrapland
Crafter's Castle
Cutie Pie
Get Creative
Happy Craft
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz PAM
SUYP Cats
Work It Weds.

    Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Great Idea!

     I'm adding Mother's Day cards to the list of what cards I need to make over the next few weeks.  In the US, we celebrate our moms in May, not March, but there's nothing wrong with having them done well ahead of time.  Besides, I always get friends who call and ask if I have any 'extra' cards for Mother's Day that they can get from me.  :-D

     Flowers work so well for Mother's Day and this image from Conie Fong just struck me as something I could happily color and use for such a card.

I started with the sketch at Cheerful Sketches.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers, then cut it with a stitched Lawn Fawn die.  I cut the golden yellow square with another die from that same Lawn Fawn set.  The green square was cut with a die from Cottage Cutz.  The pink strip was in my scrap basket and all I did was ink the edges.  In fact, all of the die cuts were made with scraps.

     The plaid dp is also from  Lawn Fawn and is a left over from the plaid paper I used a couple of days ago but this time I used the reverse side.  The bottom strip with the little flowers is a scrap left over from that previous card.   It feels like I'm CASEing myself.  :-D   Here's a link to that post.

     The sentiment was printed, hand cut, inked on the edges, and added to the lower, right side of the image.  The final touch was to tie a bow from a scrap of satin & sheer ribbon.

     Challenges:
a2z Scrapbooking
A Gem of a Challenge
A Perfect Time to Craft
CCC Digi Creations
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafty Hazelnut's
Die Cut Divas
Friendship
Lawn Fawnatics
Morgan's ArtWorld
Pixie's Snippets
   
     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

An Irish Fairy!

     Welcome!  Today I'm sharing a DT card I made for the newest challenge at Crafting with an Attitude.  Our theme is "Anything Goes" (as always) and we're being sponsored by Digi Doodle Studios.  They generously supplied images for the DT to use, and I chose "Pepper Bella Flora."

     Although she wasn't intended to be a St. Patrick's image, I colored her in greens (all pulled from their challenge color palette - see below) and suddenly she passes for an Irish fairy!  Isn't she adorable?

Here's the Digi Doodles color palette for their challenge.

I used all the greens and the palest pink for her skin,

plus bits of gold here and there.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers, and each of the gold flowers has a center made with golden Nuvo Crystal Drops.  The image and the darker frame are each cut with dies from Cottage Cutz, one stitched and the other pinpoint.  The lighter green square behind those was cut with a stitched, square die from Lawn Fawn.  The lattice piece was cut with one of my newest dies, one from the Memory Box "Distressed Windham Collage" set.

     I printed the sentiment and used one of smaller Cottage Cutz dies to cut it, adjusting the die after I cut the top edge so that I could cut the bottom edge.  The die is actually square (with rounded corners) but I managed to get that shape for the sentiment piece simply by moving the die and cutting twice.  I matted that piece with green CS, hand cut it and added it to the lower corner of the card front.

     Challenges:
Creative Inspirations
Double Trouble  (all 3)
Heart 2 Heart
House that Stamps Built
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Greetings
Scrappy Land
Tales from the Craft Room
Work It Weds.

     Come play along with us this month.  We love being inspired by you.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie