Peace on Earth

     I'm sharing a very simple card today because I want to share with all my blogging friends the peace of the Christmas season.  The image is obviously from House Mouse.

Colored with ProMarkers, watercolor pencils, and gel inks
Plaid ribbon from Crafty Ribbons
CS layers are from scraps
Hand sewn bow
Sentiment is a computer font printed in white on black

     Challenges:
Cutie Pie
Christmas Kickstart
Christmas w/ the Cuties
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Passion for ProMarkers
Path of Positivity
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting and Merry Christmas.  NanaConnie

Day 28, Letter "Y" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas is winding down to the last days and the prompt for today is the letter "Y."  I chose Yuletide and also colored the flowers in the image a very pale Yellow.  I've made another of my gift card folders but this time I made a belly band instead of using ribbon to tie it and the lovely Yuletide Bell is an image from Beccy's Place.

Colored with ProMarkers
Sparkle gel ink added to bell
White gel ink for highlights
Cut with Unbranded, stitched die
Embossed CS for folder
Cut image is attached to the belly band

     Challenges:
Crafty Catz
Crafty Hazelnut's
Creative Inspirations
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp
Time Out
Winter Wonderland
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Batdog to the Rescue!

     OK, OK, I know there's no "Batdog" in real life or even in the comics but think of him as a recent, mythical creature!  I adore the cute image we received this month from Polkadoodles for the Outlawz Progressive Challenge.  Perfect for another Halloween card with her little pup all dressed in his bat costume.  :-D

I pulled my colors from the

Ike's World challenge.

Colored with ProMarkers & gel pens
Cut with an Unbranded die
Ribbons (black sparkle and orange/white stripes) - both are scraps
Gemstone bling on the bow
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
I {heart} ProMarkers
Passion for ProMarkers
TTCRD

     That's all for today and I hope your weekend is going well.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Unicorn in Autumn

     We all know about unicorns, though some will tell you they are only a mythical creature.  I am of a different persuasion.  I believe unicorns are like pocket dragons - just because you don't see them doesn't mean they are only a fantasy.

     I've been told by a lovely garden fairy that unicorns change the colors of their manes and tales seasonally, like the leaves of a tree.  Hmmm, that would give them an advantage when it comes to hiding in plain sight, wouldn't it?  Let me give you an example of what might happen.

     Fabrika Fantasy has one of the most magnificent unicorn images which I chose for this card.  Notice how his mane, tail, and hooves blend in perfectly with the fall foliage, and his body takes on the pale shadows of the low-light dawn?

I used the sketch from Cheerful Sketches.

Colored with ProMarkers and gel inks plus sparkle on the horn
Die cut with Spellbinders and distressed on the edges
Polka dot washi tape
Doily colored dark brown
Hand made bow with polka dots
Kraft card base

     Challenges:
a2z Scrapbooking
Crafter's Cafe
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Creative Moments
Friendship
Morgan's ArtWorld
Scrappy Land

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Please Say "Yes"

   I've never done an engagement card but this cute image is from Sasayaki Glitter for their Progressive Challenge so here's my first engagement card.

     Colored with ProMarkers plus a bit of sparkle gel ink around the diamond ring, then cut with rectangle dies from QuicKutz, as were the two frames.  Sentiment printed and hand-cut, then matted and hand cut again.  Aqua CS used for the card base.

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with Friends
Get Creative
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Festive Friday
Time Out

     Have yourself a wonderful day and Happy Crafting!  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

A Barefoot Kind of Summer

     We've had our first two days of temperatures in the 90s (F) and that's just to prepare us for the hot, hot, HOT days just over the horizon.  Today's card is my only salute to high temperatures since I really hate unbearable hot weather.  When it gets over 100, I regret living where I do.

     But, for now, I love this darling little girl from Conie Fong.  She's a classic, barefoot, summer girl.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel inks, then cut the image and the frame with Bo Bunny dies, inlaying them when I adhered them to the dp background.  That paper is from my stash and I have no idea what company made it.

     The ribbon is lavender and has metallic fibers running through it.  Because of the delicate detail in the die cut frame and the print in the dp, I decided that no further embellishment was needed. 

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafty Addicts
Creations in Pink
Creative Fingers
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Scrap from Your Heart
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Monsters Are Hiding

     Did you know that when monsters hide (in the closet, under the bed, behind the flower pot), they can't be seen?  It's true!  Check this out.

     This image is for the April Progressive Challenge at Sasayaki Glitter and I colored it with watercolors, then used gel inks on the flowers and eyes.  I did all the die cuts with Unbranded dies.  The little plaid bow is actually made from a strip of fabric.  I added the glittered ribbon for just a touch of sparkle.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Cardz TV
Crafty Catz
Creative Fingers
Double D
Happy Craft
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz PAM
Take It, Make It

     Hey, we're mid-way through the week!  Does anybody else feel like time goes way to quickly these days?  I mean, we're a third of the way into April and almost a third of the way through 2019, and it still feels like I was doing Christmas cards just a couple of weeks ago.  Sigh...  Oh, well, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Groovy V-Dub Bug

     So how many of you truly remember the "Love Generation" of the 1960s and 70s?  This image takes me back to my late teen/early adult years when things were "groovy" and VWs were all the rage.  I actually had a blue VW Bug so even coloring this image brought back some wonderful memories.  :-D

     The image is for the Progressive challenge at LeAnne's World 101 and you all know how I love my progressive challenges.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers, gel inks, silver paint pens, and sparkle gel pens for a bit of shine on the windows.  I fussy cut the Bug and added it to a die cut square (Lawn Fawn) with dimensional dots and made sure that it was out-of-the-box.  I used additional Lawn Fawn dies to cut the square frame and that put everything back inside-the-box.  :-D

     Since this Bug represents the 'groovy' times, I added some sparkly, 'hippy' flowers, added little gem centers, then printed and hand cut the sentiment.  The card base is made with confetti CS.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Double Trouble  (all 3)
Get Creative
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Paper Girls
Passion for ProMarkers
Simon Says Stamp & Show
TTCRD

     That's all for now.  See you on Friday with a post for QKR Stampede.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

White Christmas?

     This is the third post of the day and I'll have a total of 4 so be sure to check them all. :-D

     It's the first Thursday of the month (and the first of the month!) so we have a new challenge at Crafting with an Attitude!  Our theme is always "Anything Goes"and this month our sponsor is Lacy Sunshine.  I used a darling LS image called "Christmas Snowflake" from their Strayz collection.  Unfortunately, I can't find it in the current online shop so it may have been retired.  If so, it's a great shame because this is one of Heather's most precious Christmas images.

    I colored with ProMarkers and sparkle gel ink.  I cut one side of the image with a border die from Poppy Stamps.  After adding the sentiment piece, I found both red and shimmery green CS and cut layers of those with that same border die.  I layered those onto one side of the image piece, then added red ink to the shaped outside border.  The card front is shorter than the card width so a bit of the inside show when the card is closed.

     The large, embellishment snowflake was cut with a die from Spellbinders and I added loose silver glitter to it.  Not exactly CAS but not overwhelmed with embellishments, either.

     Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Hazelnut's
Outlawz Greetings
Passion for ProMarkers
Polkadoodles
SUYP Cats
TSOT Technique
TTCRD

     We always appreciate seeing you enter out monthly challenges at Crafting with an Attitude and I hope you'll be playing along this month.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie   

Helpful Kitties

     This is my last project for the Cat Lovers Hop and I'm going to miss it.  Hopefully, it will be back again next October and maybe you can come play if you didn't get in this year.

     Those of you who have had kittens at or near the holiday season, or even some of our fully grown cats, will be familiar with how "helpful" those little fluff balls can be, especially when it comes to wrapping packages and tying (untying?) the ribbons.

     These little sweethearts (found in a clip art file I downloaded a few years back) decided to  decorate the front of a Christmas card.

I knew I wanted to play in the Color Dare challenge

and was delighted to find it was a monochromatic challenge.

     Once I saw that Color Dare inspiration, I knew I could use my MS Word software to get the monochromatic green image.  When I had that part done, I printed it, added some highlights with ProMarkers and white gel pen, then cut the image and the green CS mat with dies from Spellbinders.  Those went onto a green card base and I added the 2 jute cord strings, tied into a square knot.

     I found some old Christmas embellishments from K & Co., and added the holly leaves plus one tiny pine cone right next to the jute cord knot.  There are tiny red gems for the berries on the holly leaves.

     Challenges:
Allsorts
Crafty Friends
Crafty Hazelnut's
Crafty Sentiments
Cute N Crafty
Outlawz Festive Fri.
SUYP Cats
Tuesday Throwdown

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Berry Pie Time

     Did you know that fall is really the time for berry pies?  I know most of you think that berry pie is a summer thing but since I used this marvelous "Berry" image on my DT card (theme is "Wings") for October SheepSki Designs challenge, I'll tell you the real story.

     Berry picking is definitely a summer activity but since those fresh, ripe, berries can only last so long, and since in my family we always picked more than we could possibly eat before they spoiled, we froze quarts and quarts of them.  When October rolled around and the weather finally was cool enough that we didn't care if the oven heated up the kitchen, we dug out a couple of quarts of those frozen berries and used them to make berry pies!  We could have berry pie throughout the fall and we usually used the last of them for a wonderful and unexpected Thanksgiving dessert.

     I colored the berry vine with my ProMarkers and added tiny spots and dots of highlighting with a gel pen.  The image was cut with a die from Spellbinders.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment, adding it to the bottom of the image piece.

     The bow is one of those I sew up by the dozens, only this time it has a tiny button on it instead of a pearl.  I 'dyed' it aubergine purple with a ProMarker.  My final touch was to add the 'Wings" and that's a machine embroidered butterfly.  It reminds me that we always saw butterflies when we were out picking berries even though they were pretty much all gone by the time we were eating berry pies.  :-D

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Cardz TV
Creative Knockouts
Digi Choosday
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Polkadoodles
Southern Girls (dots on the berries and on the die cut)

     That does it for my First-of-the-Month DT posts and I may or may not have another post tomorrow.  My fingers are tired from all the typing and my brain is recuperating from all the creative juices flowing through it.  Can you get drunk on creative juices?  :-D  But I'll be back in a day or two, I promise.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Apples and Ants

     Yesterday I promised you a second card inspired by the challenge photo at Catch the Bug and here it is, again using an image from Bugaboo Stamps.

Here's the challenge photo.

     I colored my image with water colors and white gel ink, then cut it with a die from Spellbinders.  I backed that piece with some olive CS and trimmed the edges to size.  That went onto an embossed card front.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment.  I added one of my signature bows, leaving it white this time.  I added a tiny, red button to the center of it and called the card finished.

     Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Creative Inspirations
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Scrappy Land
Stamping Sensations (bug, bow)
That's Crafty
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown (red/green)
Words 2 Craft By

     I hope your week is going well and that the crispness of fall has arrived for you.  In my neck of the woods, it looks as though we're going to have to wait at least another week for cooler weather, and even then, that may mean temperatures in the 80s instead of high 90s.  Sigh...  Hey, Mother Nature, if you send fall now I promise not to complain about the weather throughout the entire winter.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Flying Pigs and Salute to Lewis Carroll

     " 'The time has come,' the Walrus said,

      To talk of many things:

Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —

      Of cabbages — and kings —

   And why the sea is boiling hot —

    And whether pigs have wings."

       Of course, that's the famous passage from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and my DT card today for the newest challenge at SheepSki Designs salutes the author with this darling image called "Pigs Can Fly."  

       From the time I was a young child and first read (or had read to me) the 'Alice' book (as I called it), I was fascinated by the idea of pigs having wings.  As a teen, hearing the old adage about something happening "when pigs fly," I was just as intrigued.  So, when Andrea first drew this image, I knew I had to use it.  Since the optional twist on this month's usual "Anything Goes" challenge is "For Kids," it seemed the perfect time.

       I colored with ProMarkers and added gold and white gel ink on the wings.  I die cut the image with a die from Die-namics.  The scalloped frame is cut with a Memory Box die which is also stitched.

       I found a scrap of dp in my basket of leftovers which had stitching and it seemed perfect.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment, inked the edges and added it.  Finally, I tied a "bowtie" bow and added it below the sentiment.  Voila', finished!  And it makes me happy - like being a child again and dreaming of magical things like pigs with wings.  :-D

       Challenges:

Aud Sentiments (top row)

CARDZ TV

Creative Fingers

Cute Card Thurs

Lemon Shortbread

Outlawz Color

Outlawz Festive Friday

Passion for ProMarkers

Time Out

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Santa on Vacation

      This is my second post for today.  If you're looking for my QKR Stampede DT card, scroll down one post.

     This post features my card made for the final day of the Christmas in July daily challenges at Catch the Bug.  We had to make a project inspired by this photo.



     Here's where inspiration took me.  When the Christmas rush is over and supervising the elves in the toy shop isn't yet needed for next year, Santa takes a tropical vacation.  :-D

     I colored the image with ProMarkers and gel inks, then carefully fussy cut it.  The 'sand' and sea in the scene are made from patterned paper, but I used a white gel pen to make the breaking waves in the ocean.

     The sky is done on white CS with water color pencils and gamsol for blending.  I printed the sentiment, cut it by hand and added it to the card front.  The three tiny pearls are the only embellishment but there is great visual texture from the four layers - 3 dp plus the image.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas (on a beach - lol)
Aud Sentiments
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper
Digi Doodle Studios
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Outlawz Festive Friday
Sasayaki Glitter
Sisterhood of Crafters
Star Stampz
That's Crafty

     Don't forget - today and tomorrow are the last days of the Challenges for Days Birthday Bash and all you have to do to win is to comment on my post (HERE) and on the Birthday Bash post at Challenges for Days.  There are great prizes to be won from not only some lovely sponsors on Saturday but also from each of the CfD List Manager volunteers who have offered prizes of crafting goodies.  Check it out and be sure to leave comments on all the blogs which are offering prizes.  See the list on the CfD blog.   

     That's all I have for today but you did get a "twofer" so no complaining.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Raspberry Abode

     I started this card with a particular idea in mind but it took off on its own and I admit I like it even better now.  :-D  The image is from Beccy's Place.

Beccy's had an optional sketch this month which I used,

and I used colors from 2 Sisters on the Blog.

   

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image and I added highlights to the berries with white gel ink.  I cut the image with a Spellbinders die.  Both dp strips were in the scrap basket and I dug them out because they matched the colors in the berries.

     I did faux stitching on one of the strips, scored the longer strip 4 times with my new Scor-Pal (which added some great texture!), and then added a pink, satin bow with a gem placed in the middle of the knot.  The sentiment is printed, hand-cut, and inked on the edges.

    Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft Extra
Crafts Galore Encore
Create with TLC
Creative Craft Cottage
Let's Craft and Create
More than 1 Score
Not Just Cards
Paper Nest Dolls
Scrappy Land

     Hope your weekend is going well and that you are enjoying some down time.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Not Carmen Miranda!

     I think this Rick St. Dennis image is hysterically funny and hate to admit that it's been in my collection for a while, unused.  She may be a hot cha-cha dancer but she's no Carmen Miranda!  I love the whole idea of an elephant in Spanish Dancer costume.  :-D

I used the sketch I found at Tuesday Morning Sketches.

     I colored with ProMarkers, polychromos pencils, and gel pens.  I added glitter to the diamonds on her costume and used white gel ink on all the pearls.  The image is cut with an Unbranded die.

     The turquoise CS is embossed with my "Linen" folder and added to the card front.  I took a piece of patterned dp from another project (which went into the 'round file' after I saved some of the dp and embellies) and cut it with a border die from Spellbinders.  I added it on top to the CS to make the upper triangle.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment, matted it with the same recycled dp, then added the satin bow, complete with a pearl.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
Classic DT Open
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Sentiments
Die Cut Divas
Everybody Art
Ike's World
Outlawz Songs and Rhymes
Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Ballroom Dancer

     This is my third sprite in the past 2 weeks and I'm not done yet!  lol  I do love these sprites from AuroraWings and they are such a delight to color.  AuroraWings is celebrating its 4th Anniversary and is requiring (for this challenge) that only sprites be used.   Today's Carnation Sprite turned into a Ballroom Dancer.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel inks, then cut the image with a die from Spellbinders.  This card shows off one of my favorite techniques which is making CAS cards that look much more complex than they are.  I used one of my fancy frame dies to cut the image and then layered it onto the card front. 

     When doing this technique, I always keep embellishment to a minimum; in this case using only a dyed, lace, bow-tie bow.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment, then added it to the bottom of the image.  With that, I was done!

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Di's Digi Designs
Get Creative
Hiding in My Craft Room
Incy Wincy
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Stamping Sensations

     We're on the downhill slide to the weekend and I have to get a bunch of prep work finished for a garage sale on Saturday.  Originally, I would have said "yard" sale but since the weather forecasters are saying it might rain, we're moving it under cover.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Where is Spring?

     Happy Friday and we have another new challenge starting at QKR Stampede today.   Our themes are always "Anything Goes" and you can use any kind of image you like.  However, if you use an image from QKR, your entry is put into a special draw only for QKR (or Eureka Stamps - our sister company) and that increases your chances of winning by a lot.  :-D

     I picked a fun image called "Ant Hill" and turned it into a 'wishing for spring' card.  The expression on that ant's face looks like he missed out on the groundhog saying there would be six more weeks of winter.  lol

     The coloring was done using ProMarkers and gel ink, then I cut the image and the circle frame with stitched dies from Die-Namics.  The embossed background paper is from Doodlebug Designs.  The ribbon is layered onto gray washi tape and adhered across the top of the card.  I added two sets of 3 pearls to each end of the ribbon.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment and added one tiny pearl to it, too.  I wanted to keep the design fairly CAS because it's going to a guy who's back east in the midst of a miserably cold and nasty winter storm.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps & More
House that Stamps Built
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz CAS
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Simon Says Stamp
Sisterhood of Crafters
TTCRD
Word Art Weds.

     That's it for today.  Hope to see you playing along with us this week.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Party Hardy Bird

     This poor bird (Birthday Bird 02 from Bugaboo Stamps) looks a bit like he's partied waaaay too long or is just too old to care about birthdays any more.  :-D  I've done this one as a Guest DT for Catch the Bug and we have a new challenge starting today.  Our theme is a color palette which I'll add just below the photo of my card.

Colors

     I colored with a combo of ProMarkers and gel inks, then used some border dies from Spellbinders to cut the image.  I thought that gave the image a great shape and some interesting visual texture with the lacy bits along the sides.

     The striped dp was a scrap in my stash and the sheer, green, ribbon seemed to work well with both the embroidered dragonfly and the dp.  That card front was already so 'busy' I didn't want to add anything else to it.

     Challenges:
Allsorts (bird, birthday)
Colour Crazy
Crafty Catz
Creative Fingers
Cute Card Thurs.
Di's Digi Designs
Ellen Hutson
Jo's Scrap Shack
Polkadoodles
Scrappy Land

     I hope we're going to see you playing along this week.  It's a great color combo so get inspired and share something wonderful with us.  :-D  NanaConnie