Tulips for a Birthday

      Today I'm using an image from the Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz and I've printed three of them in adjusted sizes.  I colored the tulips with my Sanjoki markers, then fussy cut them with scissors.  I stacked them together and added a few bits of dimensional dots.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     I found two scraps of CS and embossed each of them with my Linen EF.  I loved the way the tulips took center stage and decided not to add any other embellishments because I didn't want to detract from them.

I was inspired by the sketch at My Favorite Things.

     Challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms

(The) Crafting ...

Crafts Galore Encore

Die Cut Divas

Do Al(l) Kreatives

If You Give a Crafter ...

Mirtillamente

Outlawz Tuesday

Triple B

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

March of the Viking !

      Time for the Outlaw Progressive Challenge again and this month there's a cute little Viking image.  I have to tell you that I wasn't exactly 'madly in love' with this Viking when I first saw him but there were two images available this month, this one and a female Viking (Vikingess?)   I debated between the two of them but finally decided on the male image because I needed a masculine birthday card.  Once I got him colored up, I was totally mad about him!  He seemed to come to life with a bit of color and sparkle.  lol

     I started by coloring him with Sanjoki markers and glitter gel pens, then added tiny bits of gold paint pen to his helmet and shield.  I used gold paint pen on the sentiment stamp but it didn't transfer onto the card stock very well, so I wrote over it with the pen.  Both the image and the sentiment were cut with Tonic Studios dies, and the edges were inked with black felt marker.

     The background paper came from a Recollections stack (which is at least 5 years old and I'm slowly working my way through it since it has some really terrific, masculine prints.)  No embellishment needed.  I forgot to photograph the inside before I mailed the card but it says, "The years are marching on.  Better run!"

    

     Challenges:

AAA Cards

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's IP

Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Santa's on the Way

      I'm finally getting around to posting my card which uses the background image provided by The Outlawz Progressive Challenge for November.  I'm usually earlier getting it done but this month just got way from me.  In any case, the starry background was the freebie image this time.

     I colored the Santa image with my newest markers from Altenew which I bought with a challenge prize gift card and I do like them.  I added white gel pen to the snowflakes and used a silver glitter gel pen on Santa's tassel.  I'd never tried the Altenew markers before but I'm sure I'll purchase additional colors in the future.   The nice part about them is that they are refillable.

     The image was cut with a QuicKutz die after printing the sentiment on top of it.  I printed the star background and colored the stars with gold paint pen and added some blue, white, and silver with gel pens.  Everything was layered onto a metallic, gold card base.

     Challenges:

     Thanks for visiting and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Black Cat and Bats

      Today I have another Halloween card, on which I used the Anne Fenton image from  the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz.  Of course, I love the image because it's one of Anne's but also because it has a cat.

     I colored it with water color paints and cut it with a die from Tonic Studios.  I matted it with a scrap of dp from  DCWV.  I cut some purple CS to the size of the A2 card front, and layered the image on top of it.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The three gold bats were fussy cut from a scrap of Paper Pizzazz CS.  The black bats were hand drawn into the image background and the moon was created with yellow alcohol markers.

     Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

Happy...Stampers

Outlawz Tuesday

Penny's P-C

SUYP Cats

Two Old Bats

WordArt Weds

     That's it for today but I'll be posting again tomorrow for the Crafty Catz weekly challenge and you really need to check it out.  See you then.  

     Happy Crafting,  NanaConnie

Christmas Balloon

      A fast post this morning to show you a fast card I did at 1:00 this morning!  I'm pretty sure the balloon image is one from Eureka Stamps; I found it printed and in a folder of Christmas images from last year which were all waiting to be colored.

     The background piece is the image from the Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz for September.  I've been meaning to get something done with it all month long and here it is, the 27 of September and I still hadn't made a card !  I happened to drop both printed pieces onto the craft desk next to each other, and I realized what a great background the Outlawz image would make for the balloon.

     I grabbed my Sanjoki markers, did a bit of coloring on both the balloon and the background, then fussy cut the balloon, and layered it on top of the the card front where the background was already printed.  I though it need a bit more Christmas joy so I used a marker to add the red border on one side and at the bottom.  Done!  I had to wait until this morning to photograph it, but here it is.

     That's all I have for now but tomorrow I'll have a new post for the next challenge at FarmQuest.  Do stop by and see what's new over there.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Ice Cream Summer

      This fun image is the one given to us for the Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz.  I admit that when I first saw the plain outline image, I wasn't all that enamored with it but as I began to color it, giving it strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla scoops, it suddenly looked really cute (and refreshing!)  

     I used Sanjoki alcohol markers to color it, then fussy cut the cone with scissors.  I looked through a box of long-stored, paper stacks and found two papers I thought really worked well together and which set off the image.  The polka dot paper from Paper Studio I cut with a Tonic Studios die.  The argyle paper is from Authentique and I cut it to size for an A2 card with my largest rectangle die from QuicKutz.

     I printed and cut the sentiment with the smallest QuicKitz die from that same rectangle set.  I inked the edges of the sentiment and the polka dot paper using an ink pad.  I hand-tied a very simple bow, using white satin ribbon, and I 'dyed' the bow using a Sanjoki marker so that I had the exact color I wanted.

I based the card design on the sketch from Tuesday Morning.

     Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Creations in Pink

Creative Knockouts

Cupcake Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Handstamped Sentiments

PaperCraft

Passion for Markers

     Enjoy your day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Autumn Bird

      Nothing Christmas today, but a card for another holiday close in time, Thanksgiving.  This card features the image for the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz this month and I just thought that darling little bird looked like he was wishing either his tree still had leaves on it or that he was inside that big, warm barn instead of perched on his bare branch.  

     The background is a clip art pencil sketch and, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot read the artist's signature. But I did leave it visible just below the sentiment piece as a way of giving proper credit.

     I colored the bird image with ProMarkers, and cut both the image and the frame using octagon dies from QuicKutz.  The sentiment piece and the tiny leaves were both cut with dies from Memory Box.  I inked the edges of the background sketch before mounting everything onto the card front.  The sentiment itself is a rubber stamp, old enough that the name of the maker has long ago peeled off.

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Dream Valley

Gem of a Challenge

Paper Dragonfly

     Have a wonderful second day of your weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Zinnia

      I'm finally back with a post after a few days off with a cold or maybe a sinus infection, but whichever it is, it has just laid me low with no energy to even get out of bed.  But I'm on the upswing and decided to get this one posted before I forget it again.

     Last month, I was posting my card for the Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz on the last possible day at almost the last possible hour and I don't want to do that again.  The image they gave us is this lovely zinnia in a bottle and I made another card to add to my birthday stash.

     I colored with a combination of Sanjoki markers, gel pens, and water colors.  Can you guess which part is with which medium?  No, no, I'm not going to tell; I'll just let you guess.  :-D  I cut the image with a QuicKutz die and inked the edges with a marker.  The background dp is from a Paper House stack.  The butterflies were cut with a Memory Box die and the "Celebrate" sentiment was done with a Tim Holtz die by Sizzix.

     Challenges:

CRAFT-alnica

Creative Inspiration

Creative Knockouts

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Triple B

Word Art Weds

     That's it for today but I'll have another post tomorrow for the new challenge at Crafty Catz.  Do stop by then, won't you?  NanaConnie

Hedgehog Mama

      I hadn't planned on a second post today but it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't done a card for the Outlawz Progressive challenge for April and this is the very last day!  No time for any coloring so I decided right away on a black and white creation and it took me less than an hour, including photographing and editing.  :-D

     This adorable hedgie was drawn by Anne Fenton (I love her art!) and I copied it 4 times, in different sizes, added the sentiment before printing, and cut it with one of my Spellbinders big dies made for the Grand Caliber cutter.  The papers are all from an old stack by DCWV which has been in my stash for more years than I can count - maybe more than 7 years?   Most of them I found in my scrap basket and the largest one for the background I cut to fit this slimline card.

     Challenges:

Snippets Playground

     Like I said, simple and sweet, and created in a flash.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cat-in-the-Box !

      If you've ever shared your life with one or more felines, you know that they will claim any box (empty or not) as their own by climbing into it, regardless of its size or theirs.  This adorable image, which came from the February Progressive Challenge at the Outlawz, shows exactly how cats behave around a box.  No matter how many comfortable (and expensive) cat beds you may have around the house, the cat will be in the box !

     I printed and colored the image with ProMarkers, then cut it with a die from QuicKutz.  The background was cut from goldenrod CS with an Altenew die, then mounted onto black CS.  Clean, simple, and perfect for a masculine card.

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie  

Blue Zinnias

      This beautiful image was drawn by Sandra at The Outlawz for their monthly Progressive Challenge.  I spent a lot of the month trying to decide between another Valentine card or a birthday card for my annual stash.  For the second day in a row, birthday won out.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers and white gel pen, then carefully fussy cut the image with scissors.  I wanted to use the sketch I found at There's a Stamp for That, so I added a delicate frame, cut from glittery, sticker paper with a die from Sue Wilson.  That frame is so detailed it's nearly impossible to add glue to the back so cutting from sticker paper is the only way to go.  Before cutting, I used Versamark clear ink, then added glittery, yellow embossing powder, and heat embossed the entire sheet.  

     I used textured fiber paper from DCWV which has been in my stash for so long, I had completely forgotten about it.  I added the glittery frame (deliberately tilted on an angle), then layered on the zinnia image, using an out-of-the-box technique with the leaves.  The sentiment was printed and cut with dies from Avery Elle.

Here's a shot of the sketch:

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

I Love ProMarkers

Pammie's IP

Simon Says Stamp

Your Scrapbook Place

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

When Thirst Calls

      I've been playing in the progressive challenge over at The Outlawz for more years than I can remember and this month the image they provided was one I just wasn't going to be able to use - a bottle of beer.  I could have colored it and made a card, but it wouldn't have been sent to anyone so what was the point?  I explained that to one of the Admin ladies because I didn't want to lose out on playing next month.  She went back to the artist and got the image revised just for my use.  Bless her!

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut it with an oval die from QuicKutz.  I found a scrap of glitter paper (DCWV), cut a rectangle and a circle (Dare2BArtzy) from it, then cut a narrow strip of metallic paper and layered them all together onto the background.  I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die.  After adding the image piece, I tied a simple bow using satin ribbon.

I pulled colors from the challenge at My Favorite Things.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Calendar

Digi Choosday

Dragonfly Dreams

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Festive Fri

Pammie's IP

Passion for Markers

Penny's Paper-Crafty

     That's all for today but I'm going to spend a couple of days in the craft room coloring and planning ahead.  Have yourself some wonderful creative time this weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

30 Days of Holidays - Letter W

      My second post of the day and this one serves two purposes just as my previous post did.   The image is from Wink Wink Ink, and it's for the November Progressive Challenge at the Outlawz.  But it also serves as my Letter "W" entry at Beccy's Place in the 30 Days of Holidays challenge.

     Other "W"s are:  Winter, Wonder (on the snowman's face), Weaving (the background), and Watermark (mine.)  I used ProMarkers and gel pens, and cut the image with a Spellbinders square die.  I used scrap papers from the basket of leftover pieces to put together the woven background.  The sentiment is a sticker and the glittery snowflakes are from Recollections.

     Challenges:

    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

Rose Fairy

      One more monthly progressive challenge and this time it's for The Outlawz.  This beautiful image, which I think of as a lovely fairy, was provided by Moon Flower Digistamps.  I thought she'd look great in monochromatic pinks.

     She was colored with ProMarker and gel pens, then cut with an octagon die from QuicKutz.  The plain, pink CS was embossed with my Linen EF, then combined with glitter paper from Recollections for the background.  A small scrap of the glitter paper was cut with a die from Your Next Stamp and the drop out pieces were used to make the trio of embellishments on the right hand side.  Finally, I used my bow maker to tie a triple loop bow for the left side.  The Birthday sentiment was stamped and highlighted with white gel ink.

I based my card on the sketch at Cheerful Sketches,

inspired by the basics but giving it my own flavor by spreading the 

distance of the half-circle embellishments, tilting the sentiment onto a diagonal,

 and using the bow to replace the upright strip on the right side.

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Art-Piaskownica

Classic Design

Creations in Pink

Die Cut Divas

Friendship

Morgan's ArtWorld

Polkadoodles

     I'll have another DT post late tonight featuring a card done for the new weekly challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.  Then, a couple of hours after that, I'll have one as a midway reminder for the monthly challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps.  Do stop by and check those out, too.  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Grow Where You're Planted

      I've finally completed the monthly Progressive Challenge at the Outlawz, using the image provided for this month from Hetty Clare.  It's Called "Flower Pot Hat" and I think it's darling.  :-D  A perfect "I wish it was spring" image!

     I used a combination of my ProMarkers and some water coloring to color the image, then I cut it on an angle with a stitched die from Die-namics.  Once that was done, I decided on a gate fold card and went looking for papers that would enhance the design.  I found the plaid paper in my scrap basket, cut it to fit each of the two panels of the 'gate,' and mounted the image piece.

     The sentiment was printed and cut with a QuicKutz die.  I tied a double layer, bowtie bow, then added both it and the sentiment.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Creative Creases

Digi Choosday

Double Trouble (all 3)

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

      Have yourself a Happy Crafting kind of day.   NanaConnie

A Rainbow Valentine

      A really quick post today because I wanted to share a card I did for the Outlawz Progressive challenge with an image provided by their sponsor, All Dressed Up.  Isn't she a darling fairy, painting a pink rainbow in the sky?

     I colored with my ProMarkers, cut the image with a QuicKutz die, and added narrow ribbon plus a gingham bow.  The sentiment was printed and hand cut with scissors.  Very CAS for a child's Valentine.

Based on the sketch from My Favorite Things.

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Crafty Calendar

Creative Inspirations

Cutie Pie

Digi Choosday

Mod Squad

Outlawz SAR

We Love Stamping

     That's it for today.  I have to get back to the craft room and finish some DT projects which have due dates looming! :-D   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Joyful Noise

      I managed a very CAS card for the progressive challenge at The Outlawz.  The image is from MMedal and I think it's adorable.

The background is water colored and the halo and horn 

are done with ProMarkers.   The dp is a left over scrap 

from the basket.  Both the image and the dark 

blue frame were cut with QuicKutz dies 

and the sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle Die.

     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

Fall Flower Garden

     I'm finally getting my card done for the Progressive Challenge at Outlaws this month.  The image is from Oddball Art.

     I colored her with ProMarkers and cut her with an oval die from QuicKutz.  I printed and cut the sentiment with an Avery Elle die.  The sheer ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the bow was made from ribbon in my stash.

     Challenges:

Clever Dexter

Country View Crafts

Crafts Galore Encore

Creative Moments

Digi Doodle Studios

Four Seasons

Inspiration Station

Simon Says Stamp

     That's all for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie