Anemone Maiden

      I'm so excited about finding a new progressive challenge, this one at Moondrea Designs (formerly Moon Flower.)   This is the first image given to the players and she's called "Anemone Maiden."  I can't tell you how much fun it was to color her!  I had to go to their Etsy shop and buy a couple more images because I couldn't just wait until September to get the next progressive image.  :-D

     I colored her with my Sanjoki markers, adding highlights to all the pearls with a white gel pen, then cut the image with a Tonic Studios die.  I inked the edges with a Tim Holtz ink pad.  The woodgrain paper for the background came from a DCWV stack (a very old stack which has been in my stash for at least 8 years!)  I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die, then matted it with a scrap of the background dp and trimmed it to size.  The two little flower embellies are from Petaloo.  

     I've already put this one in my stash of birthday cards and I'm sure it'll be used within the next month.  Summer seems to be a busy time for family birthdays around here.

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Cupcake Inspirations

Gem of a Challenge

Let's Craft & ...

Lil Patch of ...

Penny's P-C

Star Stampz

Triple B

     Have yourself a wonderful day and find some time to craft if that makes you happy.  Stay out of the heat or the humidity and especially the flooding rains left over from tropical storm Debby.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Panda Birthday

      My sister-in-law and her granddaughter have birthdays this week and they will be celebrating them together.  My niece (SIL's daughter and granddaughter's mother) decided on a theme of panda bears.  While she and my daughter are working madly on decorations for the party, including making "bamboo" out of pool noodles and card stock leaves, I got started on birthday cards for each of them, and, yes, I did stick with the theme.  :-D  Today I'm sharing the one I made for my grandniece and will share the one for my SIL tomorrow.

     I searched for clip art, panda images, preferably pre-colored to save time, and found two which I thought really worked well together.  I had to check with my niece to ascertain her daughter's favorite color and it turns out it's the same as my own favorite, PURPLE !  How delightful that it worked so well with the image I had chosen.

     I embossed a scrap of CS and found another scrap, this time of dp, in the basket, using them to make the background.  The card was cut with a Tonic Studios die, then matted in white.  The sentiment came from Beccy's Place.  I finished the card by adding flowers and gems from Petaloo.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

A Perfect Time ...

Classic Design

Crafter's Cafe

Crafts Galore ...

Happy ... Stampers

Morgan's ArtWorld

Paper Funday

The Four Seasons

YSBP

     I hope you'll stop by tomorrow to see the card for my SIL.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Crazy Island

       With our strange weather (high 90 degree F days already and for several days in a row - what happened to Spring???), the OPTIONAL theme of our challenge at Crafty Catz this week is perfect - "Summer."  Of curse, we're always an Anything Goes challenge but we give you a fun optional topic if you want to use it.

     Our sponsor for this challenge is Mirtillamente and the image I used is called "Crazy Island."  They are offering a prize of 2 images of your choice from their store.

     I colored the image with Sanjoki markers and highlights were done with a white gel pen.  I cut the image with a stitched, scalloped die from Memory Box.  The square frame was cut with a die from Lawn Fawn.  I thought the two different stitched dies worked well together and I like the opposition of a circle and a square.

     The background 'denim' dp is a scrap from a Recollections stack and the flowers came from Petaloo.

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

Gem of a Challenge

LeighSBDesigns

Lil Patch of ...

MFT Outside the Box

Pammie's IP

Paper Dragonfly

Passion for Markers

     

     Come play along with us this week.  You could be the winner!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Vintage Perfumes

      My last two trips to the craft desk, I've been playing with some vintage ads I found on a clip art site and the two I turned into cards for Mother's Day will post on my blog today and tomorrow.  This first one is an advertisement for vintage perfumes in lovely fancy bottles.

     I printed the ad onto beige paper, added a bit of color to two of the bottles using pencils, then cut it with a QuicKutz die, and cut both frames with other dies from that same set.  The dark, metallic paper for one of the mats came from a very old stack by DCWV.   The small flowers are from Petaloo, and they have gems on them.  The ribbon came from the scrap basket and the sentiment was printed, then fussy cut.

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Blue Bunny for Easter

      This card features one of the clip art images I printed and used for a quick and easy card.  It was pre-colored and I cut the image with a QuicKutz oval die.  Both of the papers I used for the background were in the scrap basket but they really worked with the colors in the image.  I used one simple Petaloo flower for embellishment and called it finished.  The card took me about 15 minutes to complete.

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Catz

Digi Choosday

I Love ProMarkers

Jan's Digi Stamps

Pammie's IP

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

      Back to the craft room where I have at least a dozen more images waiting for me to turn them into Easter cards.  I may work on them late into the night tonight so that I don't have to skip church in the morning, but I'm also sure I'll be back at the desk tomorrow afternoon and most mornings this week.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

All Tuckered Out

      I clearly remember the days when my kids were so little that they were completely worn out after hunting Easter eggs in the early morning, often too tired to eat breakfast without at least a short nap beforehand.  When I saw this precious image from Mariola Budek, I just had to color it and make an Easter card for one of my great-grands.  :-D

     Generally speaking, I prefer images of critters better than people because mostly critters are cuter but this darling image let me do both so it's a real win-win!

     Once again, I used my new Sanjoki alcohol markers to color the image, then fussy cut it with scissors.  I mounted it onto dimensional tape and layered it onto a plain card front.  The sentiment was printed, cut with an Avery Elle die, and mounted on dimensional tape, also.  I added tiny flowers, made by Petaloo, and called it finished.  I really wanted the image to be the focus, not the embellishments, so I kept those to a minimum.  Another Easter card for the stash, which is growing slowly.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Creative Knockouts

Double D

I Love ProMarkers

Lil Patch of ...

Pattie's Creations

Penny's P-C

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     I'm heading back to the craft room where I have another 8 images colored and waiting to be turned into Easter cards.  I spent the entire morning and a good share of the afternoon coloring so that I could make some serious headway on Easter cards this evening and tomorrow morning.  Check back about this time tomorrow for another post.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Daisy Mouse

      Today I'm sharing a new image from Conie Fong, called "Daisy Mouse" and the set also contains a darling little hamster named "Hailey Hamster."   The set has an extra image of a single daisy, which I merged at the bottom of the image I used here.  

     Remember, we have challenges each month on our Facebook page, and you can enter using any Conie Fong image.  You could be the winner and you'd win more Conie Fong images!

     I colored Daisy with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a rectangle doe from QuicKutz.  I used a Fiskars punch to shape the corners, and I inked the edges of the image and the sentiment (which was fussy cut with scissors) with ProMarkers.  The background was made using a scrap of very old paper from the basket on my desk.  I added two small, mulberry paper, flowers (from Petaloo) with gems as embellishments, and they are from my stash (at least 5 years old!)

     Challenges:

2 Sisters on the ...

Ally's Angels

Crafter's Cafe

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Thurs

Star Stampz

     Come play with us this month.  We'd love to see what you create!  Don't have a Conie Fong image for your entry?  Grab a freebie from the FB site and get going.  Or check out what's new and on sale at the Etsy store.  You'll fall in love for an exceptionally great price.  :-D

 

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Complete Set

Set My Heart Awhirl

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY !      

     I made another card with this image from Jan's Digi Stamps last month but the penguin with his top hat and his handful of roses is just so precious, he had to be seen again!  He's from a set called "Putting on the Ritz" and this time I took a shortcut and used the pre-colored image, which I reversed before printing.

     I love making card for my friends and family but cards about Love made for special people (the kind we celebrate on Valentine's Day) are my favorites, primarily because I make fewer of them so they are even more special.  :-D

     I cut the image with a Sizzix scalloped die and added a tiny Petaloo flower with a gemstone in the center.  The background dp is a scrap from an old Recollections 12x12 stack.  Aside from the busy design in the paper, it's a pretty CAS card and took less than 15 minutes to make.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Catz

Creative Knockouts

Cutie Pie

Double Trouble

Inspiration Station

Jan's Digi Stamps

Outlawz Color

Outlawz Thursday (1st Column)

     Have a wonderful Valentine's Day and hug everyone you love!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Love Story Mice

      Is this this most adorable Penny Black stamp ever?  I think it's precious and can see such a variety of uses for it.  Today, it serves as another Valentine.

     Colored with water color paints, then cut with a QuicKutz die, the image was layered onto a background made from paper and CS scraps.  The flower with the gem is one from Petaloo.  The sentiment was printed and cut with another QuicKutz die.

     Challenges:

Dare 2B Artzy

Di's Digi Designs

Dragonfly Dreams

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Penny Black Sat.

There's a Stamp ...

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Valentine Penguin

      This precious image from Jan's Digi Stamps, called "Puttin' on the Ritz," has been reversed for this card.  It's a pre-colored image so putting the card together was quicker than usual.  The image was printed, then cut with an Unbranded die.  I added a scrap of red CS behind the die cut and trimmed it to fit the rounded corners.

     I printed and fussy cut the sentiment (also part of the set), inked the edges with neon ProMarker to make it stand out, then added it to the image piece.  I used baker's twine to enhance the red, burlap ribbon, wrapping two pieces on each side of the ribbon.  The Petaloo flower covers the spot where the ribbon and twine ends overlapped.  

     

     Valentine's Day is getting closer by the minute so if you haven't started on your cards yet, let this be an inspiration.  Remember, you can get cards done very quickly with pre-colored images, especially if you do CAS cards (which this one isn't!)  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sweet Hedgies for a Valentine

      Can you tell I was thrilled to discover that the neighbor who gifted me her Penny Black stamps was as enamored with the hedgehogs as I am?   They are all just so cute!   I turned this one into yet another Valentine card, although it will work well in the future for nearly any occasion - birthday, Mother's Day, graduation, any gift giving event, even a non-occasion when someone needs a bit of encouragement or support.  Just add an appropriate sentiment and you're in!

     This image is water colored, then cut with an Unbranded die. The sentiment was hand written.  I wanted it pretty CAS so only added a scrap to frame it, and a tiny Petaloo flower with a teensy gem for a bit of flash and sparkle.

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Creative Inspirations (old stamp, new to me)

Creative Knockouts

Digi Choosday

Paper Funday

Penny Black Sat

Penny's P-C

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Ferret Love

      As I was making Valentine cards, I had a request from my eldest granddaughter for a card done in purple which featured a ferret.  She wanted it for a friend who loves ferrets and whose favorite color is purple (mine, too!)  She wanted this image used on the card so, of  course, I complied.  A new image for me!

     I love the pencil sketch aspect (although I have no idea who drew it but will happily give credit if anyone knows) and printed it onto lavender CS.  I used a ProMarker to add a frame of red around the heart, then cut the image with a die from Memory Box.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, and the edges were inked with another ProMarker.

     I cut another, larger rectangle with another Memory Box die and layered the two together on angles.  I put those onto a white CS background and added three flowers with gems from Petaloo.  The flowers were given to me by my granddaughter (given to her by another friend who's clearing out old crafting supplies) and although they are old, they are new to me.  Thanks, Granddaughter!  All of this made for a fun, CAS card for her friend on Valentine's Day.  My granddaughter hasn't seen it yet, but I know she'll love it.

     My favorite reason for sending cards is any holiday, whether they be world wide (like Christmas), national (like 4th of July), or personal (like birthdays.)  So having a good reason to make a Valentine card that will be sent to someone who appreciates it is a wonderful thing.  Of course, the real reason I send them is so that I have a way to get rid of all the cards I make instead of having them pile up around me, creating a serious danger of being buried under a ton of paper!  lol

     Challenges:

Art Impressions

As You Like It

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Inspirations

Creative Knockouts

Outlawz Thursday

Pattie's Creations

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Final Exams

     I know it's been several days since I posted anything but I'm recuperating from some serious respiratory problems and my crafting has been very limited.  Sorry.  Hopefully, I'll get back to normal soon.  :-D

     Today I'm sharing 2 different cards, both made as encouragement for a college student facing some really difficult exams at the end of a semester.  This first one is for that horrendous period of study and anxiety leading up to the exams.

     The wise old owl seemed appropriate for a school/education theme.  I'm pretty sure this was a digital coloring book image which I reduced in size.  The image and the CS framing were each cut with dies from Spellbinders.  The Christmas candy dp was from an old DCWV stack and it just had the perfect colors to complement the image.  The sentiment is mine alone.  :-D  

Pre-exams

     I loved the CAS design and used it again on the second card.  The same Spellbinders dies were used on the second card and the background dp is also DCWV.  The flower is from Petaloo.  Obviously, this one is for that joyous period when grades are assigned and all exams were successfully passed.  :-D

Post exams

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Dare2BArtzy

Dragonfly Dreams

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Festive Fri

Pammie's IP

Paperbabe

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie