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

Jumping in Leaves

     Nothing is more fun in the fall than jumping in leaves!  Kids love doing it and grown ups love remembering when their bodies were young enough to do it.  Well, at least I do.  :-D

     Another Friday and another "Anything Goes" challenge from QKR Stampede.  I'm sticking with doing autumn cards in hopes that the fall weather will finally arrive and today's card is no exception.  I've used an image and a sentiment from QKR's sister company, Eureka Stamps.  The image is called "Lady Throwing Leaves" and the sentiment is "Jump into Pile of Leaves."

I was inspired by the sketch at AAA Cards

turned sideways.

     I chose the scrap of paper before I started coloring with ProMarkers and pulled colors from it.  I cut the image and the brown frame with Sizzix dies.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it and inked the edges with a ProMarker. 

     I took the scrap of paper and tore the edges all the way around for a distressed look.  I layered everything onto a kraft card base.  I dub out black and gold jute cord and wrapped the card front with them, tying a knot.  I also tied a small, black, polka dot, bowtie bow and added it.  I really liked the CAS look of the design so I left it as it was.

     Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Dragonfly Dreams
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrappy Land
Time Out
Word Art Weds

     OK, now it's all up to you.  Come enter our challenge this week and you might win some fabulous QKR Stampede images!  See you there.  NanaConnie

Last Leaves of Autumn

     Today it's my pleasure to be a Guest Designer for the CAS Challenge at the Outlawz.  The theme, in addition to being CAS, is to use at least one button.

     I have no idea who made the image for this since I forgot to properly label it when I saved it into my collection of miscellaneous images.  I printed it twice in slightly different sizes, then colored both with ProMarkers.  I used rectangle dies from Spellbinders and QuicKutz to cut them, then layered them with dimensional tape to make a kind of pyramid stack.

     I added tiny buttons to the corner and did the sentiment on mini Pop Dots.  This one is CAS in design but with a more complex look.  This card has to be my salute to the end of fall and with perfect timing.  Our temperatures are expected to take a 25 degree drop between yesterday and tomorrow!

     Challenges:
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Friends
Digistamps4Joy
Let's Craft and Create
Paper Creator's Crafts
Scribbles Designs

     If you decide on a CAS card this week, add a button and come play in the CAS challenge at the Outlawz.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Lost and Found Cat

     When I saw this image in the store at Createful Hearts, my own heart just melted.  Our newest challenge starts today and this just seemed like a perfect autumn image for my DT card.  It's called "Pumpkin Patch Kitty" and I know you're going to love it, too (even if you're not a 'crazy cat lady.')  Our theme is "Anything Goes" and you can use whatever image you want to enter.

     I colored this one with ProMarkers and cut the frame for it with a die from Sue Wilson.  In this case, the frame is the negative piece of the cut and it's placed over the image, not the other way round.

     The two papers for the background are both from the Linen Closet stack (DCWV), one of my absolute favorites of all time because the colors and patterns are just so versatile.  The brown one with the tiny leaves is embossed and glittered.  I added sheer ribbon and tied it into a bow.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps & More
As You Like It
Crafty Creations
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
House That Stamps Built
Outlawz PAM
Paper Shelter
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Simon Says Stamp

     I really hope you're going to come and play with us this time in our Challenge #3.  Remember, our theme is always "Anything Goes" and now we're bi-monthly on the 15th and 30th so you have twice the number of chances to win fantastic images from Createful Hearts!  See you over there.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Dragon Queen

     Our newest challenge starts today over at Morgan's ArtWorld and this time we want you to "Use Something from Your Stash."   I used the image "Dragon" to make this card and I'll give you a running total of all the stash items I used.

     I colored the dragon with my Polychromos pencils and cut it with a simple rectangle die from Spellbinders (item 1 from my stash.)  I used an old embossing folder from Darice (item 2 from the stash) to emboss a scrap of vellum (item 3), then found two strips of ribbon to wrap around the card front (irtem 4.)

     The bow is one of those I sew together and toss into the stash (item 5) so that I have them when I need them.  This one was originally white but I 'dyed' it with a ProMarker to get the shade of coral/ orange I wanted.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug
Color Crazy Craft
Creative Fingers
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz PAM
Pencil Case
Polkadoodles
Southern Girls
Take It, Make It

     Dig out goodies from your stash and come play with us during this next fortnight.   Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

A Silly Stack of Pigs

     We start a new challenge today over at QKR Stampede and our theme this week is "Autumn Leaves."  That's so appropriate for an early fall card but you know my odd sense of humor -- I had to something a bit different and funny.  :-D  I started by choosing Digi 16913 "Stacked Pigs" as my main image and used a monochrome/ neutral color combo I found at City Crafter (see below.)

Colors from the inspiration photo at City Crafter.

     This is really a very simple card, intended to be masculine.  Since our challenge theme involves 'leaves', I also used the Digi 3901 "Leaf"  and printed it several times in different sizes.  All the leaves and the pigs were colored with a combination of my ProMarkers and a few Copics.

     I hand cut everything, including the silly sentiment, then added everything to a kraft card base.  I matted the sentiment and the pigs with black CS and mounted the pigs on dimension dots.  As a final touch, I added the bow which originally had been white but I 'dyed' it with a ProMarker.

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
Come and Get It
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Boots
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Sentiments
Crazy Challenge
Digi Choosday
Glitter n Sparkle
Lil Patch
Melonheadz Friends
One Stitch at a Time
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Robyn's Fetish
Tuesday Throwdown

     I hope you're going to come play with us at QKR Stampede this week.  Remember, you don't have to use QKR images but if you do, your card is entered into a separate draw for QKR users only and that really increases your chances of winning.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Pilgrims for Harvest

     We start a new challenge at Pile It On today and we have a fun palette of autumn colors for our theme (see below.)  Digital Delights is our sponsor and they generously provided images for the DT to use.  As it happens, I have quite a collection of Digital Delights digis so I used "Pilgrim Boy" and "Pilgrim Girl" from my own collection and then added the sentiment which was provided to the team members.

Our wonderful color combo...

...and below is my card.

     There really was no place on either of these partially pre-colored images to use that lovely olive green color so I used my linen folder to emboss some olive CS, cut it to size, and punched the corners.  The image piece was die cut with a set from Spellbinders, as was the dark brown mat (I know it looks black in the photo, but it really is brown as is the narrow ribbon.)

     After I got it all layered together, including the ribbons, bow, and pearls in the one corner (all from my stash!), the olive green CS just wasn't working.  I dug through my ProMarkers, found a lovely light olive green shade and colored in her apron.  I also punched a few leaves from the olive CS and layered them on top of the image.  Instantly, the olive CS fit right in!

     It's amazing what a little bit of added color can do.  I know it makes her look very different from the way a traditional Pilgrim girl is pictured in all white, black and gray, but in this case, the overall design works better.  :-D

     Challenges:

Card and Scrap

Cardz 4 Guys 

CCC Digi Creations 

Clear It Out

Crafting by Designs

Crafty Creations 

Creative Card Crew 

Digi Galore 

Oddball Art Stamps 

Our Creative Corner 

Outlawz Twisted Thursday 

Scrapy Land 

Through the Craft Room Door

WordArt Weds.

     Autumn and all the upcoming holidays are rushing toward us at a pace faster than I care to see.  I have a solid start on all my holiday cards so I think I'll be done by the end of November.  Which is a good thing because the amount of time I spend away from my cozy home during December means that the crafty time is much reduced.  For now, I'd be delighted to see you playing along with us at Pile It On, and remember, that means pile on those challenges!  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Fall Birthday Lady

     This beautiful lady was a freebie from A Day for Daisies where their challenge theme is "Frame It."  As soon as I saw the image, I just knew she called for soft, fall colors - almost pastels rather than the usual bright oranges, reds, and deep yellows.  Even without those bright colors, I wanted her to be "Autumn" without question.  What do you think?

     I colored her with my ProMarkers, cut her with my paper cutter, rounded the corners with a punch, and die cut the background frame from a scrap piece of dp with one of my dies from QuicKutz.  I threaded the two ends with ribbon from my 'bits and pieces' stash, then mounted the matted image onto buttercream CS.   That entire thing went onto a white card front.   I added fall leaves and pearls and then used the negative, drop-out pieces from a decorative-corner die (Cheery Lynn) on the top and bottom of the framed piece, adding a delicate filigree flair to the overall design.

     Challenges:
ABC Challenge (first column)
Crafting by Designs
Crafting for all Seasons
Crafty Gals Corner
Digistamps 4 Joy
Inspiration Destination
Petal Lu
Sisters of Craft
Through the Purple Haze

      I hope your weekend is wonderful and that you find lots of 'refresh' time.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Candy or Fish?

    OK, so my fur-babies and I were discussing Halloween the other day and I was reminding them that when the ghoulies and goblins come for Trick or Treat, it really isn't necessary for them to try to make a break-out rush through the front door; they are house cats, after all.  HoneyBear, who has the attention span of a gnat, had only one question -- could they expect fish for Trick or Treat this year instead of candy?  So much for my plans to eat all the Halloween leftovers!

     Image from QKR Stampede, colored with ProMarkers, and then die cut with a die from Spellbinders.  I found a scrap of dp and die cut that for the frame around the image.  Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon, glitter from Stickles, and leaves from Jolee's.

     Challenges:

A Creative Romance

Chocolate, Coffee & Cards

Craft-Dee BowZ

Crafts and Me

Crazy 4 Challenges

Die Cuttin' Divas

DRS Designs

Fitztown

Going Grey with Scrap Creations

Hiding in My Craft Room

Luna Girl Moonbeams

Melonheadz Friends

Open-Minded Crafting Fun

Outlawz PAM

Outlawz Twisted Thursday

Send a Smile 4 Kids

Sister Act

     I hope your weekend is relaxing and creative.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie