Day 18, Letter "P" - 30 Days of Christmas

     Today we're using the letter "P" as our prompt in Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas and I chose one of Beccy's lovely Poinsettia images.  I made another gift card holder made from embossed, Pine Green CS.  The image is cut with a Pin Point die and I also used a die to cut Pine needles for the background.  The folder is tied with Peppermint Candy, red and white twine.  This one is done in my favorite Christmas color combo of red and green.  It's also another of my favorite traditional Christmas images which work better (I think) for adult gifts than cute-sy, childish images.

Just to show you how the inside of the folder looks, although this photo is of another folder I made.

Here's a link to the YouTube video I used to make these.

Colored with Polychromos Pencils, blended with gamsol
Pin Point die from Poppy Stamps
Embossed CS
Pine Needle die from Die-namics
Baker's Twine in Peppermint candy colors

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Colour Crazy
Dream Valley
Get Creative
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Polkadoodles
Southern Girls

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Easter Blessings

     Today I want to share some of my oldest images which came from the now closed "Clearly Digital Stamps" store and they are both perfect for Easter.  I combined the two images by hand this time because I wanted to run the ribbon between them.

     I colored the rose with ProMarkers and used colored pencils and gamsol on the rest of the sentiment piece.  I left the Bible white and added the "Easter Blessings" sentiment to it.  I fussy cut both pieces.

     I had that scrap of green dp which had been cut along the border with a die from Spellbinders.  I trimmed it to fit the card front, ran it through an embossing folder (sorry, I don't remember the name), and adhered it, purposely leaving some white along the cut edge.

     I played around with how to layer things together, including the green satin ribbon, and finally decided I like this layout design the best.  I tied a bow from a scrap of matching ribbon and called it finished.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps 
Angie's Digital Stamps
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Paper Funday
Paper Shelter
Pile It On
Scrappy Land
Stamping Sensations
Work It Weds.

     Thanks for visiting and I appreciate those of you who leave comments.  They inspire me and keep me posting.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Chick or Duckling?

     I just had to give you a second post today.  I fell in love with this adorable image.

     Remember the age-old question about which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Well, for today, we want to know if what's in the egg is a chick or a duckling?  I'm doing more Easter cards, some of them for a friend who needs 8 cards total, and she and I are having a debate over which this is.  I think it's a little chicken but maybe it's the way I colored the beak that makes it look like it could be a duck.

     The image is from Angie's Digital Stamps.

     I colored with ProMarkers and polychromos pencils, then cut the image with a Tonic Studios die.  The background is a piece of scrap dp as is the plaid strip across the bottom.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment, inking the edges before applying it on top of the plaid strip.

     I found another scrap of yellow, gingham, ribbon and tied the bow using my bow maker.

     Challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers
Crafty Creations
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Cute N Crafty
Get Creative
Happy Craft
House that Stamps Built (middle row)
Work It Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Winter Warm Up

     It's the First of March and our newest challenge at SheepSki Designs begins today.  We have a fun theme of  "Your Favorite Colors" and I stretched it a bit to show one of my favorite color combos - purple and blue.  The image is called "Winter Warmer" and you can find it by clicking on the name.  I thought she looked so gorgeous wrapped in that warm winter scarf.

     She's colored with a combination of ProMarkers and polychromos pencils, and I cut her with a stitched die from Memory Box.  I cut blue and purple dp with other stitched dies from that same set, picking up the blues and purples in the image.

     I made the card base from kraft CS because I loved the way the dp popped off it.  I found a piece of lovely, lace ribbon and laid it diagonally across the card base before applying the dp and the image.  I embellished the design with a 'butterfly' shaped bow with pearl for the body.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments (top L to bottom R)
Butterfly  (Burgundy + Bow - which is also the butterfly!)
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Creations
Creative Knockouts
House that Stamps Built
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Golden Roses

     This gorgeous image, with all kinds of options for coloring it, is the freebie image for the Progressive challenge at LeAnn's World 101.  I colored them to look like roses which actually grow on a bush in my side yard.  I don't know the name of the rose because the bush was there when I moved in but they are a golden, buttery, yellow with pink on the edges.

     This time, I colored with a combination of ProMarkers and polychromos pencils.  I cut the image with a framing die from Spellbinders, then cut a piece of dp with a second die from Spellbinders, which I used as a mat behind the image.   

     The plaid background paper is a digital paper I created by changing the colors in a paper from Doodle Pantry (now closed - sadly.)

     The two ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I had them in my rather huge stash of ribbons.  The bow is another of the ones I sew up by the dozens and I 'dyed' it with ProMarkers.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Outlawz Colors
Outlawz Greetings
Passion for ProMarkers
Scrappy Land
TTCRD
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Three Blind Mice

     Welcome to yet another Friday and the start of another "Anything Goes" challenge at QKR Stampede.   I've been playing with some of the older images in my QKR collection and this one, called "Blind Mice," was perfect for a card that seems to say "I'm really missing you!"

     I made this card before I found my markers so this is colored with a combination of water color paints and colored pencils.  I cut the image and the sentiment with Unbranded, cross-stitch dies, then mounted both pieces onto a scrap of dark blue CS.

     The argyle plaid paper was in my stash of 12 x 12 scrapbooking papers which I am determined to use following the reorganization (which forced me to recognize and admit just how much paper I have in my rather overwhelming stash!)  There's no getting around the fact that I have to use up a ton of paper before I can justify purchasing any more.  lol

     I found a scrap of jute cord in a color perfect for this card and added it before layering on the image.  I wanted this to be a masculine card so I didn't embellish it any further.

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Friends
Creative Fingers
Cutie Pie
Ike's World
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Festive Fri
Take It, Make It

     Have a great weekend and come play with us this week.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Autumn Fox

     This darling little fox is an image from MMedal Illustrations and he's the freebie image for the Outlawz Progressive challenge this month.  I considered treating him as an Arctic Fox but decided that he'd be perfect for a card done in autumn colors.  I may use him again in icy colors for a winter card.

I decided to use colors from the 3rd column of Color My Heart's

Tic Tac Toe color challenge, plus neutrals of brown and gray.

     I love the expression on his face - he seems so happy!  I colored with ProMarkers and polychromos pencils.  I cut him with an octagon die from QuicKutz and matted him with another, larger octagon cut.

     The polka dot paper is a scrap which I chose because it has the three colors in the column perfectly matched.  I chose CS as close to the "nectarine" color as I could get and made the card base.  My two ribbons look much more orange than they are IRL; they really are just deeper hues of the nectarine color but I have photographed this card 4 different times in different light each time and they continue to look orange.  Sigh....

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
A Gem of a Challenge
Cardz TV
Crafty Calendar
DL.ART
Dragonfly Dreams
Polkadoodles
Southern Girls

     Well, the weekend has officially started and I'm on a coloring binge.  That means I'll have plenty I can do tomorrow to put cards together and get them ready to post.  In the meantime, a few hours of sleep is in order.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Autumn Leaves

     Well, it's definitely that time of year - the leaves are falling and covering the yard, and we must now rake them into piles and haul them off in bushel baskets.  Of course, the kids will have to jump into one or more of the piles before any such project can be finished.  Sorry, but it's one of the immutable laws of autumn.  :-D

     I'm celebrating that with a lovely image from the Autumn Beauty set by Sparkle N Sprinkle.  I wanted to give you a link to the image but I can't locate the set in the store, in either rubber or digital.  :-(

     I colored with my ProMarkers and polychromos pencils, then cut the image with a stitched, scalloped die from Memory Box.  I used another die from that same set to cut the harvest gold mat for the image.  The sentiment is from that same set, printed onto a scrap, then I cut it with the die and trimmed it into a pie shape since the scrap was too small to be a full circle.

     I used a border die from Poppy Stamps to cut the curved line in a piece of antique yellow CS.  I added a scrap of polka dot dp (SU) which had also been cut with that same border die only this time it wasn't punched along the border.

     Everything was layered onto a burgundy card base.  My final touch was to embellish it with a hand-tied bow made from sheer ribbon and 'dyed' with a ProMarker.  I added the button to the middle of the bow and called the project finished.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Cardz TV
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Friends
Creative Fingers
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz SAR
Polkadoodles
Stamping Sensations

     I'm heading back to the craft room to see what other damage I can do to my stash of supplies.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thankful for Autumn Deer

     "Autumn Deer" - that's the name of this beautiful image from Ching-Chou Kuik, who just happens to be our sponsor for the October challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies.  As always, the theme is "Anything Goes with a Featured Critter."  Ching-Chou Kuik provided images for the DT to use and a few of us also used images from our own collection so be sure to check out the challenge post to see all of the images used by our DT.

     This time I colored with a combination of polychromos pencils and ProMarkers, then I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders.  I took some of the tiny leaves (which are the negative bits that fell out of the die cut) and colored them, then scattered them across the card as though they were blown by an autumn wind.

     I found a scrap of brown CS, ran it through my "Linen" embossing folder, and mounted it onto a kraft card front.  I wrapped the card front in coral ribbon and added the sentiment, plus one of my favorite hand-sewn bows.  The bow was originally white but I use ProMarkers to 'dye' it the color I wanted.  This card is pretty CAS and can be easily mailed.

     A couple of posts ago, I told you that winter was my favorite season but I was in the middle making Christmas cards and that definitely influenced my choice.  Truth be told, I love autumn best.  After a long, usually very hot summer, the cooler nights of fall and the smell of rainstorms rolling in satisfy me in a way little else does.  I used to be thrilled that football was back but I gave up watching televised football games when I became disillusioned with the NFL.  Still, I love autumn because it means cooler weather and a chance to craft with all those autumn colors which I tend to ignore the rest of the year.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Ching-Chou Kuik
C.R.A.F.T.
Cute Card Thurs.
House that Stamps Built
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Paper Shelter
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds.

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our October challenge.  We love seeing what you create and there's no limitation on what you make as long as it features a critter of some sort.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Walking the Cat

     This card, which I've done as my DT inspiration for the latest Creations in Pink challenge, is going to my #1 granddaughter.  I'm 'babysitting' her two feline fur babies for a few days while she's out of town.  When she brought them over, we had a conversation in which she shared that she takes her 5- month-old babies out for walks on a leash.  They have harness collars which makes it easier but she says her neighbors think she's crazy.  Still, the babies seem to like it.

     Our sponsor is Ppinky Dolls and they have some of the most precious images!   My collection of  Ppinky Dolls is growing.  Every time I visit the shop, one or two of them sneak into my cart and come home with me.  :-D  This one is called "Jerry."

   

     I colored her with my polychromos pencils and ProMarkers, then cut the image by hand.  I mounted her, popped up with foam tape, onto an embossed die cut (Spellbinders) which had been left over from another project.  I had some glittery, embossed paper on the craft desk and I cut it into flag shapes and also die cut one tiny circle (Sizzix.)  I added those to the right hand side of the image, then tied a tiny, pink bow which I put in the middle of the circle piece.  I added one tiny gem to the bow.  Finally, I printed and hand cut the sentiment, matting it with a scrap of deep pink CS before adding it below the image.

     Challenges:

Brown Sugar

Crafting from the Heart

Crafty Friends

Crafty Sentiments Designs

Die Cuttin' Divas

Lemon Shortbread

Pammie's Inky Pinkies

Simon Says Stamp

SUYP Cats

     I hope you'll came and play in our second challenge at Creations in Pink.  It's an "Anything Goes" theme but you do have to use lots of pink on your project.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Word is Autumn

     We've had an entire week of temperatures under 100F - meaning 97 to 99 - and I'm taking that as a sign that autumn will be here any minute.  Today's card celebrates that fact with a fun image from Bugaboo Stamps.  :-D

I was inspired by the colors at Card Mania.

     I colored with ProMarkers and polychromos pencils.  I cut the image with a die from Die-namics and the frame is cut with two different dies - Die-namics on the inside and CUTplorations on the outside.  All have some form of stitching on them.

     I ran both the gray CS of the frame and the brown CS of the background through my Linen embossing folder, then I layered everything together.  I added narrow grosgrain ribbon to the top of the card, and used 2 additional ribbons and my bow maker to tie a double loop bow.

     For final embellishment, I added three sets of three brads each.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafter's Cafe (brads + 3 layers)
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Friends
Do Al(l) Creatives  (dies/image/ribbon)
Jo's Scrap Shack
Joy Clair
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     That's all I have for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Flower of the Family

     Since I was the baby and only girl among the siblings, my dad always said I was the "Flower" of the family.  In my teen years, my older brother said that was because I was a "bloomin' idiot!"  lol  Whatever the reason, I used that phrase as the sentiment on this card which features an image from All Dressed Up.

I was inspired by the colors at House of Cards.

     This one is colored with a combo of polychromos pencils and ProMarkers, then cut with an Unbranded die.  I matted the die cut image piece with light blue CS and trimmed the corners.  I mounted that onto dark blue CS and put that onto a kraft card base.

     I dug through my stash of ribbon and found two, matching-in-color, ribbons from completely different companies.  I used one to wrap the card front and the other to make a 'ruched' bow to which I added a row of pearls.

     I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, then matted it with a scrap of kraft CS.  I added that to the bottom of the dark blue CS.

     Challenges:
All Dressed Up
A Perfect Time to Craft
Carlin's Card Paradise
CCC Digi Creations
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Joy Clair
Let's Craft and Create
Morgan's ArtWorld

     Have a wonderful, crafty day and Happy Stamping!   NanaConnie

A Little Birdie Told Me...

     Good Friday Morning!  We have a new challenge starting today at QKR Stampede where our theme is always "Anything Goes."   I took the opportunity to add another birthday card to my stash with this CAS design using QKR image "Birdhouses" and sentiment "Birdie Told Me."  Remember that QKR Stampede images come in both rubber and digital, whichever is your preference.

     I colored the birdhouses and background in the image with ProMarkers and polychromos pencils, then fussy cut it leaving two spots where the image went 'off the edge.'  To give a little texture and dimension, I stacked the image onto 3 more layers of CS, hand cutting each one as I added it so that the final image piece is 4 layers of CS.  I inked the edges to make it pop a bit.

     I adhered that onto a confetti CS base.  I printed the sentiment, matted it with turquoise CS, and hand cut that.  I used baker's twine to wrap the card and die cut (Cheery Lynn) a butterfly out of burlap paper.  I 'dyed' it with a ProMarker, then added one tiny rhinestone to the butterfly body for a bit of sparkle and called it finished.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps & More
CARDZ TV
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
House that Stamps Built (1st column)
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Festive Friday
Penny's Paper Crafty
Victorine Originals

     Come play with us this week.  We love being inspired by you and you certainly can't go wrong with an Anything Goes theme.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Felines Made Me Post This!

     I had no idea when I did the previous post that I'd be posting twice today.  But the feline fur babies simply wouldn't let me do a salute to the world of canines without a balancing post featuring a cat.   Sigh.  If you want to see what upset them, check out this post (or scroll down one post.)

     I found this image in my collection of Di's Digi Designs and decided that I would color it with my polychromos pencils.   When it was finished, I cut it with one of my newest dies, an Unbranded cross stitch rectangle, and I used the smallest one from that set to cut the sentiment.

     I needed to get this one done quickly (since the fur babies were glaring at me) and I had already spent a good 45 minutes coloring, so I looked through various sketches and settled on the one from Cheerful Sketches.  Without a sketch, I can spend an hour or more fiddling with design ideas, laying things out, re-arranging them, and re-arranging again.  No time for that this morning!

     Everything on the card came from scraps in my stash.  The bit of red ribbon and the polka dot dp worked well together so I grabbed them, trimmed the dp squares to a suitable size, distressed the edges a bit,  and layered them onto a card base made from a leftover piece of confetti CS.  

     I dug out one of those white bows I sew up by the dozens, used a marker to 'dye' it red, and added it as the one embellishment on the card.  I called it finished and rushed around to get it photographed and ready to post.  

     Sorry the ribbon is crooked in the photo but I didn't take time to adjust it and re-photograph.  At that point, the felines were pacing and making threatening noises so I just sat down and began typing up the post.  (If you don't see a post from me tomorrow, call the FBI!  The cats have probably done something horrible with my remains, like hiding the shredded pieces under the ribbon stash in the craft room.  lol)

     Challenges:

A Bit More Time to Craft

Digi Doodle Studios

Digistamps4Joy

Joy Clair

Lemon Shortbread

Not Just Cards

SUYP Cats

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

One Last Christmas in July

     All last week, I did Christmas cards for the daily challenges at Catch the Bug.  Today, I have one last Christmas in July card but this time the image is from AuroraWings.  While their challenge theme has nothing to do with Christmas, how could I resist these adorable felines?  I got this image back in January and I've been waiting to use it so this week seemed the perfect time.

     I'm truly not sure if they are decorating or un-decorating the tree.  If it was my fur babies, they'd be taking it apart!  lol

      The image is printed right onto the card front for a very CAS design and I colored it with polychromos pencils, plus I added glitter to the tree ornaments.  The sentiment is done with a die from Die-Versions.  I cut it three times from red CS, stacked those together and glued them with a glue pen, then added them to the card front.

     The stacking gives some great dimension but also adds texture.  A CAS card, easy to mail.

     Challenges:
Christmas Crafts All Year Round
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Die Cuttin' Divas
Hiding in My Craft Room
Outlawz Festive Fridays
Outlawz PAM
Send a Smile 4 Kids
SUYP Cats

     This will be the last Christmas card for a couple of weeks.  But now that I've gotten a start, I'll be doing two or three each month for the rest of the summer, then I do at least one a week through the holidays.  I get my stash built up each year because I need 20 to 25 for family and close friends, and then I donate 50 to 75 to my local senior center.
   
     I started doing that when I moved here 5 years ago.  It happened quite by accident.  My first Christmas in my new home, I was busy unpacking through the late fall and finally ran across a box of Christmas cards I had done for family but by the time I found them, I had already made and mailed new ones because I couldn't find that particular box.  The senior center is literally 2 blocks away and I passed it on my way over to my daughter's house the very day I found the cards.

     I turned around, went back to the house, grabbed the box of cards, and took it over to the Senior Center just to see if anyone might be interested in having cards for their own family and friends.  I knew some of those attending activities at the center really don't have adequate transportation to get out to the Hallmark store to buy cards for family and friends.  There were only about 20 or so but I understand they were all taken that very afternoon.

     The next year, I did an extra 25 cards specifically to take to the Senior Center.  By year three, the center manager called me on December 1st to ask if there was any chance I was bringing cards that year also.  It seems she had requests and inquiries from many of the seniors asking if there would be cards that year.  :-D  Now I make as many cards as I can for the Senior Center and every year I get wonderful feedback and warm "Thank You"s so I keep on doing it.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas 'Cheer'

     It's Day 5 and I've managed to enter each and every day of the daily challenges at Catch the Bug's Christmas in July.  Today's theme is "Make it Funny" and there's an inspiration photo which can also be incorporated.

     I chose this fun image and made up my own sentiment to go with it.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers and colored pencils plus a bit of glittered gel ink on the cocktail glass and liquid.  I cut it with a square die from QuicKutz, then distressed the edges with a craft knife blade.

     I dug through my scrap basket and found the papers, distressed the edges of the red one and curled one corner.  I printed and fussy cut the sentiment, distressed the edges lightly.  The ribbon and bow were waiting in my stash and they seemed a perfect final touch.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Sentiments
Cutie Pie (top row)
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
{PIN}spirational
Simon Says Stamp & Show
TTCRD

     Only two more days of the Christmas in July and I'm already working on cards for both days.  I am pretty sure I'm going to make my goal of entering each day's challenge.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fairy Tale Masquerade

     Every great fairy tale has (or should have) a masquerade ball.  Since AuroraWings has a theme for their challenge of  "Once Upon a Time," in which they want us to do something inspired by a fairy tale, I've used their masquerade mask to celebrate every fairy tale ever told.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers and polychromos pencils.  The image is fussy cut with a craft knife - not easily done!  I found the sparkly silver ribbon in my Christmas stash and used two strips of it to border the image.  I added one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, but this time I added a glittered flower instead of the usual pearl.

     Challenges:
AuroraWings
Brown Sugar
Crafty Catz
CARDZ TV
Crafting by Designs
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Friends
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pile It On
Simon Says Stamp

     Have a great week and thanks so much for visiting.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

For an Old Goat

     This is my second post today so be sure to scroll down to see the GDT card I did for Colour Crazy.

     I've done another masculine birthday card for the challenge which starts today at QKR Stampede.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and it doesn't matter whether or not you use an image from QKR, but if you do, your entry goes into a separate draw and that increases your chance of winning by a huge amount.

     This image is called "Old Goat digi 13206" and so is the sentiment ("Old Goat digi 14506.")

I was inspired by the colors at My Favorite Things.

     I colored with a combination of ProMarkers and polychromos pencils, then cut the image with my paper trimmer and cut out the inside of the yellow, overlaid, frame with a die from Cheapo Dies.  I wrapped that in gold, satin ribbon and layered it onto a black card base.

     I printed and hand cut the sentiment, then inked the edges before applying it.  Finally, I added one of my signature bows.

     Challenges:
CARDZ TV
Crafty Catz
Crafty Friends
Cute N Crafty
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Outlawz Festive Friday

     I hope you have lots of "me" time planned for the upcoming weekend.  Our minds deserve rest as much as our bodies, you know.  :-D  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

A Daisy Kind of Day

     Before I show you my card for today, I want to tell you the back story as I heard it.  A neighbor of mine asked me to make an anniversary card for friends of hers and it had to have daisies on it.  Why daisies instead of romantic roses wrapped in diamonds?

     This couple went to see a movie on their first date and she said she decided he was "The One" that very evening because he chose the movie and it was a chick flick just for her!  He took her to see "You've Got Mail" and she loved the line in the movie about 'daisies being her favorite flower because they are so friendly.'    She had two little daisies tucked into her wedding bouquet and every year on their anniversary, hubby gets her daisies - even if he has to pick them from their own garden.  :-D  What a sweetheart of a man.

     So, here's my card done for their anniversary.  The image is from Di's Digi Designs.  I wasn't really sure about a woodland mouse as the main character on an anniversary card but, while I haven't had a report from the couple yet, my neighbor who commissioned it absolutely loved it.

I started with the sketch from Cheerful Sketches.

     I used watercolor paints and polychromos pencils to color the image, then die cut it with a die from Sizzix.  The two main dp pieces are scraps from my basket and were cut with rectangle dies from Spellbinders and QuicKutz.  The yellow strip is hand-bleached CS.  All of those pieces and the sentiment pieces were inked with a distressed ink pad from Tim Holtz.

     In my stash, I found three white daisies for embellishment and added them to the lower corner.  Everything is put onto textured, gold CS which I used for the card front.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Cute N Crafty
Crafting from the Heart
Get Creative
Mod Squad
Outlawz Greetings
Outlawz Songs & Rhymes
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Girls

     That's all I have for today but I have yet another post pre-scheduled for tomorrow and a twofer for Friday.  Hope you'll be checking each day.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie