Christmas Elf

     This is my last post as a DT member at the World Wide Open challenge.  I'm so sorry to be leaving but once the hustle and rush of holiday visits and travels are over, I'm going to find my lifestyle making a radical change and that means much less time for my usual creative pursuits.  Not that I won't still be crafting and making cards but I need to be able to do it without deadlines or commitments.  I'm staying on a couple of teams but I've resigned from most of them and World Wide is one.

     This month, we have our usual "Anything Goes" theme and I've used a delightful little elf from Julia Spiri to celebrate the Christmas season.  The image is actually named "Little Gnome" but with the use of traditional Christmas red and green, it made a perfect elf!  And, right now, it's also on sale at 50% off.  Click on that link and go get it!

     I colored mostly with water colors but used ProMarkers on the hair, face, and eyes.  I cut the image with a Spellbinders' die and inked it all around the edge. 

     The background was done with scraps of papers from my Christmas stash, which I distressed along the edges.  The green snowflakes are embossed stickers and the white one was punched and glittered.  The bow was tied and I added a button to the center of the knot.

     Challenges:
Butterfly
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Gals Corner
Cute N Crafty
DL.ART
House that Stamps Built (sparkle/ red/ holiday)
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp

      I have several pre-scheduled posts done and may be adding one or two more between now and my return (to normal?) in January.  In the meantime, Merry Christmas and Happy Crafting to all.  NanaConnie

Waiting

     It's time for the next monthly challenge at World Wide Open Design Team and, as usual, we have an Anything Goes theme.  I used this sweet image from Julia Spiri called "Little Lori."  It wasn't designed to be a winter or Christmas image, but I used gel inks to add the snow and it made a perfect Christmas Eve image.  Can't you just feel Little Lori missing all those who are due to come for Christmas?

I was influenced by the sketch from My Favorite Things

but I flipped it a quarter turn so that my card would be horizontal instead of vertical

and moved the vertical bow off the image to the side.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then used dies from Art Impressions to cut both the image and the frame.  I chose a pre-made card base from DCWV and the "Holly Jolly" design is printed right onto the card front.

     I went through my stash of Christmas ribbons, found two that were gold and glittery, used one to wrap the card front and the other to tie a double loop, double layer bow with the help of my Bow It All.

     I printed and hand cut the sentiment.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
A Gem of a Challenge
Allsorts
Aud Sentiments
Craft-Dee BowZ
Creative Fingers
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Mod Squad
Simon Says Stamp
Words to Craft By

     Come play with us this month, won't you?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Anniversary Flowers

     Good afternoon and I'm so glad you stopped by again.  I'm sharing my DT card for the newest challenge at World Wide Open DT.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and Julia Spiri is our sponsor.  This beautiful image is called "Wedding Flowers" and I thought it would make a fabulous anniversary card.

     In keeping with the fall season, I chose autumn colors and colored the image with ProMarkers.  I fussy cut the flowers with scissors, then inked the edges with a ProMarker.  I cut a background piece of dp with a stitched die from Die-namics, and heat embossed the corner with glittered embossing powder.

     I put that onto dimensional dots and added it to the card front, then did the same with the image piece, adding still more dimension.  The sentiment was printed, hand cut, and was inked on the edges before adding it to the image background.

     My final touch was to hand tie a bow using satin ribbon and I added a tiny, diamond-shaped, shank button off of a doll's cape.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Cardz TV
Crafty Catz
Dragonfly Dreams
Dream Valley
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Festive Fri
Outlawz PAM
Stamping Sensations
Take It, Make It

   Come play with us this month, won't you?   Anything goes and you could win as many as 3 wonderful images from Julia Spiri!   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Venitian Masquerade

     We've just started the latest monthly challenge at World Wide Open Design Team Challenge and we have our usual theme of "Anything Goes."  The winners from the last challenge have been chosen and you can find them on the World Wide blog.

     We are sponsored by Julia Spiri.  You can find her FB page here.

     I used a beautiful image from the Venice Collection, Mask.  Julia's designs seem to draw the purples and turquoises out of me but since that's my favorite color combo ever, I don't mind.  :-D

     Once again, I colored with my ProMarkers and used a white gel pen for the highlights.   Both the image and the scalloped piece behind it were cut with dies from Sizzix.  However, the dp (from the Juniper Berry stack by DCWV) was just a scrap I saved from the trash bin so it's not a complete circle.

     The other two papers are from Graphic 45 and I put them onto the card front, wrapped the 2 layers of different ribbons (Really Reasonable Ribbon) around, added one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, and then layered on the two die cut pieces.

     Finally, I printed and hand cut the sentiment, inked the edge, and added it.  Not overblown with embellishments but not exactly CAS, either.  :-D

     Challenges:
As You Like It (Girly - because I have so many guys in my family that I end up doing masculine cards much more often and it's fun to do feminine creations instead.)
Cardz TV
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.

     That's it for today but since I gave you a twofer, I think that's enough.  If not, check back tomorrow to see what's new.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Portrait of a Lady

     It's mid-month and that means a new challenge is starting at World Wide Open DT, always sponsored by Julia Spiri and her magnificent images!  I've used one of the newer images, "Portrait Girl" which is done in gray scale and I used water colors to bring her to life.

    After water coloring, the image was die cut and the edges were distressed.  I used a larger Tonic Studios scalloped die to cut the white frame and the another to cut the pink CS piece.  Those were layered together before printing and fussy cutting the sentiment.  I matted the sentiment with a scrap of pink CS and added it to the image piece.

     I found the scrap of black dp in my stash and it's been around for so long, I don't even know who made it.  The pink bow is one I sewed together by hand and then added a tiny gem to it.  I love the soft feel of this image and I hope it carried over to the entire card.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Creations
Digi Choosday
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Festive Friday
Southern Girls
TTCRD
Work It Weds.

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our Anything Goes challenge at World Wide Open this month.  For my US & Canada friends, remember that this challenges runs from the 15th of this month through the 14th of next month but that's on Australia time so think a day ahead.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Magic Day

     It's the middle of the month so that means it's challenge time at World Wide Open DT again.  Julia Spiri sponsors the challenge and this month I'm using "April Elf." 

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and cut with a die from Spellbinders.  The dark green CS frame is also cut with a die from Spellbinders.  I mounted everything onto a pale green card base, then printed and added the sentiment.  That's it!  No embellishments - just the layers of die cuts doing all the work to focus attention on the intricate details.  Funny how it ends up looking so shabby chic, isn't it?

     Challenges:
CARDZ TV
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting with Friends
Fussy and Fancy
Outlawz Festive Friday
Polkadoodles
Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Guardian Angel

     Time for the June challenge at World Wide Open DT Challenge.  You'll want to check out the winners post, too, just in case you might be one of them.  For my DT card this month, I've used the Julia Spiri image, "Ofelia Angel."  Isn't she lovely?

     The coloring of the image is done with a combination of ProMarkers and polychromos pencils.  I used dies from a Spellbinders set to cut both the image and the sentiment.  I used one of my ProMarkers to ink the edges of the die cuts.

     The dp is from the Linen Closet stack by DCWV (my favorite stack ever!)  The card front is embossed with my "Linen" folder.  For embellishment, I used a 'bow tie' bow.  I can't tie those by hand - I have to use my bow maker.  :-D

     Challenges:
A Perfect Time to Craft
Aud Sentiments
CARDZ TV
CCC Digi Creations
Color Sisters
Craft-Dee BowZ
Creative Craft Cottage
Morgan's ArtWorld
My Favorite Things
Paper Nest Dolls

     Come play with us this month, won't you?  Our theme is always Anything Goes.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Make a Wish

     It's time for the start of a new monthly challenge at World Wide Open DT Challenge and our theme is always "Anything Goes."  The challenge is sponsored by and we showcase images by Julia Spiri.  Today I'm using "Jasmine" - isn't she fantastic?

     I colored with ProMarkers, then die cut the image with a die from Cheapo Dies.  I dug through my stash of scraps and found both the turquoise and the flowered papers.  Since they made up my favorite color combo of purple and turquoise, I grabbed them right away.  I ran the turquoise through my machine using an embossing folder from Sizzix before layering it onto the card front.

     I had two scraps of sheer and satin ribbons so I used them for the strip between the two papers and also for the bow.  The sentiment was printed and die cut with the smallest die from that Cheapo Dies set.  I'm using this as a birthday card so the sentiment really works.  :-D

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Friends
Crafty Sentiments
Di's Digi Designs
Everybody Art
Passion for ProMarkers
Send a Smile 4 Kids
Stamping Sensations
Unicorn

     I hope we're going to see you playing along this month.  Don't forget that you can also visit the FB page for Julia Spiri and see her new shop here, which features original art and fabulous coloring books!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Spring Roses

     I have the most exciting announcement - I was selected to join the DT at World Wide DT Open !!  As I type up this blog post, it dawns on me that I need to calculate the time difference between California, in the USA and Sydney, in AU.  My apologies to my teamies for being so late getting this post up and live.  I'll be on time next month, I promise.

     Our theme is always "Anything Goes" but you must be a member of a Design Team somewhere or a member of the Julia Spiri FB group in order to enter.  We are sponsored by Julia Spiri and that means we get to use the fabulous images she supplies to us.  Anyone cans be a winner but if you also use one of her images, you qualify to be one of our "Spotlight Winners."  I started by using "The Victorian Hat."

     I printed the image and the sentiment directly onto the card front since I knew I wanted a fairly CAS card design.  I used my favorite purple and lavender ProMarkers to color this image, adding skin tones and hair color ProMarkers as well.

     For a touch of vintage, I found some lovely lace, added a violet ribbon behind it, and wrapped it around a bit of CS before adding it to the card front.  I tied one of my bow-tie bows, using lavender satin ribbon.

     Challenges:
Aloha Friday
Brown Sugar
Colour Crazy
Crafter's Castle
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Friends
Creative Fingers
Jo's Scrap Shack
Polkadoodles
Take It, Make It

     I hope you'll come and join our challenge this month.  It's open for entries from the 15th of each month until the 13th of the following month, but remember those are Sydney, NSW, Australia times.  See you soon.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Little French Lady

     This darling image is from Julia Spiri and I think she makes a perfect birthday card for a young lady.

I chose colors from Color Crazy.

     She's colored completely with chalks and framed with a stitched die cut from Die-Namics.  That frame is actually a negative, trimmed to fit and layered on top of the image.  The sentiment is printed with a computer font, then cut and added.  I used a white gel pen to highlight the stitches made by the die.

     I embossed the card front and used pastel pink chalk to highlight the embossing.  However, it doesn't show up all that well in the photo but if you enlarge it, you'll get a better view.  No embellishments beyond the chalk and embossing because I wanted a really CAS design.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Broken Fairy
Chalk n Stock
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Creations (middle column)
Creative Moments
Lemon Shortbread
Morgan's Art World
Paper Shelter

     That all for today.  Thanks so much for visiting.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" ICON BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX.  SORRY.

Lovely Victorian Hat

     As soon as I saw this image over at Julia Spiri, I grabbed it and made this card!  It's actually called "The Victorian Hat" hence my post title today.  Naturally, I had to do a vintage card.  I'm going to use it for a birthday card because my stash is very low on birthday cards but I'm going to put the sentiment inside, along with a handwritten, personal note, and use this for my daughter's birthday card.

     I colored with ProMarkers, use a die from one of my Spellbinders sets to cut it out, and then cut a large oval for the mat (QuicKutz).  I added pearls, dried flowers, a die cut butterfly (2 layers) and used ribbon to make a double-color, double-loop bow.  Too bad it looks so pink in the photo.  It's really pale lilac.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Girlz
Creative Card Crew
Digistamps4Joy
Digitally Sweet
Double D
I {heart} ProMarkers
Julia Spiri
Lunagirl Moonbeam
Paper Creator's Crafts
Scrapy Land
Sisterhood of Crafters
WordArt Weds

     Hope your week is going well.  We're on the downhill slide to the weekend now so hang in there.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie