Bow in Her Hair

       When I first saw this image by Mariola Budek, my thoughts went straight to my mom who combed out my hair every day for the first 14 years of my life and dressed it in some sort of braid, with bows tied into it most days.  By the time I was 14, my hair was long enough that I could sit on it, even when braided.  Up to that point, I had never had it cut.  What a patient woman she was!  :-D

     I colored this image (sorry, I can't remember the name of it but it probably came in one of the many hairstyle images books she has available) with Sanjoki markers and used water color paints on the background.  I cut the image with a die from Tonic Studios, and inked the edges with an ink pad.  

     The card front has been water colored, then run through my Linen embossing folder for texture.  The sentiment was cut with  QuicKutz die and the flower layers were Spellbinders cuts.  I added Wink of Stella and glitter to the larger flower layer, and just a tiny spot of Stickles to the tiny flower layer.  The bow in her hair was hand-tied using a bit of sparkle twine.

     Challenges:

Di's Digi Designs (bow)

Gem of a Challenge

I Love ProMarkers

Outlawz Thurs

Paper Funday

Pattie's Creations

There's a Stamp ...

Word Art Weds

     That's it for today but I'll have another post tomorrow so I hope you'll stop by.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Buzzing Around the Thistle

      New challenge day at Creative Knockouts and our theme this week is "Flower Power."  We are sponsored by Sheepski Designs and the image I chose to use is called "Buzzing."  

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image and added some Wink of Stella to the wings, although it doesn't show in the photo.  The blue frame was cut with 2 rectangle dies from QuicKutz, one set inside the other, then dry embossed using my "Linen" EF.  The frame was applied on top of the image.  I decided I wanted a very CAS card design and once I had the image framed, I liked the effect and the simplicity.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Creative Moments

Dies R Us

Double Trouble

Outlawz Festive Fri

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Come play with us this week.  We love being inspired by you.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

You Are Great !

      For the newest challenge starting today at QKR Stampede, I've done a sweet encouragement card for my neighbor to give to her niece.  The image is from QKR and is called "Apple."  Simple enough.  :-D

     I used ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with an oval die from QuicKutz.  The sentiment was cut with a smaller oval die from that same QuicKutz set.  The background dp came from a Recollections stack.  The butterflies were cut with a Memory Box die.  I applied Wink of Stella to them for a bit of shine but it doesn't show very well in the photo.

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Butterfly (coral, cardinal, & celedon)

Colorful Options

Colouring in Scrapland

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz PAM

Outside the Box

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Feel free to come play with us this fortnight!  We look forward to seeing what you enter.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Outlawz 'Songs and Rhymes' Challenge

     I have the honor of being the first GDT on the brand new Sunday "Songs and Rhymes" challenge over at the Outlawz and I'm delighted to participate.  :-D  Each week, they will have a song or a rhyme as the theme and you can create something which was inspired by it.  This week, I was inspired by the whole "English Garden" idea and I am convinced that English Gardens are filled with fairy circles and all that comes along with those, including fairies and dragons and tiny-but-meaningful gifts. 

     My card uses a delightful image from A Day for Daisies.

I started with colors from Color Sisters 

and loved the inspiration photo of this lovely garden at 

ARTastic.  Don't you just know there's a fairy in there somewhere?

  

     The image, which is printed directly onto the card front for a single-layer card, is colored with a combination of ProMarkers and polychromos pencils.  My version of the color combo is soft, springtime pastels to enhance the feeling of a garden.  I added some Wink of Stella shimmer to the fairy's wings and sparkly glitter to the dragon's wings.  As a salute to the previous requirement of CAS designs for the Sunday challenge, I kept this card very CAS, adding no embellishments other than the sparkle.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug
CCC Digis
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Friends
Jo's Scrap Shack
Not Just Cards
Paper Nest Dolls
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     Come join us at The Outlawz.  There are new challenges each day, a monthly progressive challenge, and membership at the Outlawz is free.  You'll find lots of new (and old) friends, crafters just like you who are warm, friendly, and wonderfully helpful when needed.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Decorated Tree Gift Tag

     There are two earlier posts today so scroll down to see those.  This is an incredibly busy DT post day since the First of the Month fell on a Friday and I have a total of 4 DT posts for today.  :-D

     Another Friday and a new challenge at QKR Stampede, where our main theme is always Anything Goes.  But we also offer a twist which is optional and you can use it or not.  This week the option is to do "Christmas Tags."

     I chose the "Decorated Tree" image from QKR and cut my tag to fit the shape of the tree.

     I colored the tree with ProMarkers and added glitter to the star.  I used Wink of Stella on the ornaments for a bit of shine.  I punched a hole in the top and added sparkly metal ribbon.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
A Perfect Time to Craft
Card Mania
Christmas Cards All Year Round
House of Cards
Kreativeinkauf

     I hope we're going to see you play along this week.  We always get as inspired by yours creations as you do from ours.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Poinsettia Garden

     I love this angelic snowman tending his lovely Poinsettia garden.  With that capital "P" on Poinsettia, can you tell it's another card for the Month of Holidays at Beccy's Place?  Yep, today we are to use the letter "P."

     I colored with my ProMarkers, and added glittery gel ink to the snowflake halo and used dots of Wink of Stella on the Poinsettia centers.  I cut the image with a stitched die from CUTplorations and then framed it with another die cut (Gina Marie Dies.)  I mounted the image piece onto Pop Dots before layering it onto the frame and then put that entire thing onto a lime green card base.  The sentiment was computer printed, hand cut, and added to the image piece.  Aside from the dimension (which doesn't show too well in the photo), it's a fairly CAS card.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
A Perfect Time to Craft
Beccy's Place
CCC Digi
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Hazelnut's Extra
Crea Chicky's 
Create with TLC 
Stempelsonnen
World Wide DT Open

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Coffee Cat

     My second post this morning.  Be sure to scroll down for the first one.

     This sweet image from Sami Stamps is perfect for the Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop.  Although I prefer my coffee iced in the summer months, this little feline would settle for any kind of coffee at this point!

     The image is colored with ProMarkers, then fussy cut.  Although it doesn't show up very well, the lightest part of the coffee mug is covered with Wink of Stella for some shine.

     The background is made using textured dp from that same, really old, DCWV stack with a missing cover so I still don't know the name.  These were all three scrap pieces which I had tucked away in the middle of the stack (probably left over from a Valentine card) and I distressed the edges to hide the fact that the scraps were a bit tattered-looking already.  :-D

     I tied twine around the card front and left it CAS.

     Challenges:
Coffee Loving Cardmakers
Crazy Challenge
Glitter n Sparkle
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Pixie's Snippets
Ribbon Girl
TTCRD

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie