Thin Enough

      I have a sweet granddaughter-in-law, mother to my first two great-grandchildren, and she's been working out at a gym regularly since the first of the year.  She's been amazingly dedicated and has not only toned up but has lost pounds and clothing sizes.  She says she can now fit into her high school cheer leader outfit!  I'm really proud of her and everything she's accomplished but when I dug through my stamps and found this Art Impressions image (and sentiment), I just had to use it to make her birthday card.  She and I share March as our birthday month but hers is about 10 days before mine, and this stamp is much more reflective of me than she!  lol

     I colored this with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a QuicKutz rectangle die.  I cut the corners with a Fiskars punch.  The background dp is from Recollections stack which my youngest granddaughter gave to me at Christmas.

     Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Friendship

I Love ProMarkers

Pammie's IP

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Your Scrapbook Place

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"Frog Dandy"

      When I saw this image (sent to me by a friend who wanted a birthday card made), my mind immediately jumped to my childhood and I could hear my dad saying, "Well, aren't you looking frog-dandy!"  It was one of his expressions which I never really understood but it always made be think of a frog all dressed up in his finest duds.

     When it was given to me, the image was very pastel, almost grayscale, and I knew I wanted it to be brighter.  I used ProMarkers and colored pencils to bring up the colors and I also used my photo editing software to enhance the coloring.  I cut the image with a QuicKutz rectangle die and used a Fiskars corner punch on it.  I pulled out the scrap basket and pulled out various dp scraps which I thought would work with this image.  I played a bit layering them in different ways and finally settled on what you see here.  I used the corner punch again on the scrap that frames the image.  The sentiment was done with a computer font and cut with scissors.

    Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Classic Design

Crafts Galore ...

Creative Inspiration

I Love ProMarkers

Let's Craft & Create

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Word Art Weds

Your Scrapbook Place

    I hope this card brings a smile to your face.  I send a photo of it to my friend who ordered the card and she loved it.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

It's a Cat Birthday!

      I started coloring this Hetty Clare image back in the early spring, giving each kitty a different fur color but, with only that much done, I set it aside and it got buried in the pile of "to be completed" projects.  Shortly after that, I got sick and was hospitalized, suffered the vision problems which kept me from coloring for a couple of months, and when I found this one in the pile yesterday, I knew it was time to finish it.  After all, I'm on a very determined streak to get birthday cards finished and into the stash for the upcoming months between now and the end of the year which are filled with family birthdays.

     I pretty sure the kitties were colored with ProMarkers but the words and the balloons were done using water color paints.  I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders.  The purple background was dry embossed with my 'Linen' folder.  The little purple bow was hand-sewn and I used a purple pearl in the center.

     Challenges:

Dare 2B Artzy

Digi Choosday

Dragonfly Dreams

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's Inky ...

Paperbabe

Pattie's Creations

Simon Says Stamp

SUYP Cats

     Have a wonderful day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Timely Birthday

      This is a very CAS design for a masculine birthday card.  In my family, we have long had more males than females by about 2 to 1 (although the women are catching up as the grandsons marry and have babies - go girls!!) and the birthdays pretty much fall between June and October so having a stash of masculine birthday cards is important.  This one will probably go to my son but could end up in the hands of one of the grandsons.  Now that I look at the calendar, yesterday would have been my dad's birthday.  :-D

     I wanted to keep this image as the primary focal point so I didn't even mat it or frame it.  I cut it with a QuicKutz die and layered it on top of a Spellbinders die cut, cut from black CS.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut, then matted with black CS and fussy cut again.  No embellishments, just a flat, easy-to-mail, masculine card.

     Challenges:

A Bit More Time ...

CCC Digi 

Crafter's Cafe

Crafts Galore Encore

Creatalicious

Die Cut Divas

Dies R Us

Digi Doodle Studios

Friendship

Let's Craft & Create

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Balloons

      I love kittens!  I love birthdays!  I love balloons!  That makes this darling image perfect for me to use and now I have one more card to add to the birthday stash.  :-D  

     The image is from Di's Digi Designs and the challenge theme is "Birthday cards."

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Spellbinders frame die

Papers are scraps from the basket

Sentiment fussy cut

Grosgrain ribbon for hand-tied bow

     Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps ...

Allsorts

Art Impressions

Colour Crazy

Cute Card Thurs

Gem of a Challenge

I {heart} ProMarkers

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fairy Dust Day

      It wasn't until I saw this image and sentiment from Bugaboo Stamps that I understood what makes the difference between an ordinary day and a birthday.  lol  I love that idea and will be calling on the fairies for all family birthdays from this point forward.

Colored w ProMarkers (in my fave purples & blues)

Glitter added to wings

Image & frames cut w QuicKutz dies

Sheer & sparkle ribbons from RRR

Sentiment & mat cut w QuicKutz dies

     Challenges:

Catch the Bug

CCC Digi

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Passion for Markers

Simon Says Stamp

Taylormade ...

TTCRD

     That's all I have for today.  I'm having a bit of a relapse into the COVID lethargy and am finding it hard to sit at the computer or crafting table for more than half an hour at a time.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.  In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Gift for You

      During the time I was getting sick, then hospitalized, and then in the respiratory recovery facility during my battle with COVID-19, I missed out on a few of the progressive challenges I like to follow.  Now, I'm playing catch up where I can and purchasing an image if needed to get back in.  :-D  Today's card is a make up at Stampers Delights using an image called "Gift."

     I'm using this as a birthday card and at the moment, it's going into my stash of feminine birthday cards.

Colored w ProMarkers & gel inks

Cut w QuicKutz Octagon die

Sparkle, metallic ribbon

High gloss CS for background

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Satin bow w pearl

     Challenges:

Colouring in Scrapland

Crafty Friends

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Get Creative

I {heart} ProMarkers

Incy Wincy

Ike's World

Lemon Shortbread
Penny's Paper-Crafty

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Curly Piglets Birthday Party

     If you were a cute, pink piglet and it was your first birthday, wouldn't you be just a little bit "piggish" about smearing frosting and cake all over your fingers, face, and anything else within reach?  Yep, I thought so.  I think this is a perfect 1st Birthday card for either boy or girl.  I love mixing blue with pink when I want a card that will work for either gender.

     The images are from the Curly Piglet set by Conie Fong and I merged two of the three images available in that set.

Colored w/ ProMarkers
Cut w/ Unbranded die
Corner punched w/ Fiskars punch
Pink satin ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
White ribbon w/ sparkle from stash
Hand-tied, double loop bow

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Cute Card Thurs
Digi Choosday
I {heart} ProMarkers
Inspired By
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Greetings

     Don't forget we have two challenges every month on the FB page for Conie Fong; one is for Colored Images only and the other is for Finished Projects.  Both require the use of a Conie Fong image but her images are just so sweet and cute, how can you resist them?  Dig out some of your Conie Fongs and come play with us.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Goofy Giraffe for a Birthday

     I have a dear friend who loves giraffes and at least twice each year, for her birthday and Christmas, I try to find a new giraffe image or stamp to make a card for her.  This year, as I was over exploring on the Stamp Junkies FB group, I saw this giraffe in a new set by Angie Blom.  As an artist, her work is new to me but I fell in love with a card she had done using and image from this new set and I went right over to her shop and bought it!  There are a few different giraffe images (and sentiments) in the set so I'll be able to do three or four cards for my friend with that set.  What a bargain!  lol

     I did a fairly simple design, flat and not too much embellishment (so good as a masculine card, too) because it has to go in the mail.  She and I now live about 350 miles apart although we once shared the same home town.

Colored with ProMarkers

All the frames are cut w/ QuicKutz dies

2 sentiment bit cut with Avery Elle dies

Red satin bow, hand tied

     Challenges:
A Gem of a...
Aud Sentiments
Colour Crazy
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Friends

Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs
Lil Patch of ...
Outlawz Festive Fri
Outlawz Twisted Thurs

     Have a great weekend and find some Happy Crafting time.  :-D  NanaConnie

Birthday Cake Sprite

     I fell in love with the sprites at AuroraWings when I saw the first one and have a huge collection of them now.  This one, Birthday Cake Sprite, I picked up along the way but have never used her before.  I need a few more feminine birthday cards in my stash so now seemed an appropriate time.

Colored with ProMarkers
Out-of-the-Box cut with Sizzix die
Doily dyed with ProMarkers
Wide ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Hand wrapped, lace bow
Metal brads
Navy blue card base

     Challenges:
Crafty Friends
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Fingers
Digi Choosday
Dragonfly Dreams
Outlawz Stash
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Star Stampz (die cut/digi/blue)
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Birthday Fish

     Stocking up again on birthday cards and this delightfully silly fish from QKR Stampede's sister brand, Eureka Stamps, seemed perfect for adding one more to the stash.  I used it as this week's DT card for the new challenge at QKR Stampede.  The image is called "Birthday Fish 14708."  The sentiment is also from Eureka, called "Another Year."  Don't you love that red eye?  lol

Colored with ProMarkers
Image cut with QuicKutz die
Frame cut with Memory Box die
Background paper is a scrap
Signature, hand-sewn bow w/ pearl
Sentiment printed and hand cut w/inked edge

     Challenges:
Addicted to CAS
Colour Crazy
Country View Crafts
Crafty Hazelnut's 
Cute Card Thurs
Do Al(l) Creatives
Lil Patch of ...
Outlawz Festive Fri
Outlawz PAM
Penny's Paper-Crafty

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Strawberry Birthday

     I'm working on my stash of birthday cards again because in my family we have a ton of summer and fall birthdays, and I begin running through my stash rather quickly starting in May each year.  For this card, I used an image from Beccy's Place.

Colored with ProMarkers and gel pens
Cut with QuicKutz die & inked on the edges
Metal corners (sent to me by my friend, Mia, all the way from Greece!  Thank you so much, Mia.)
Signature bow w/ gem
Sentiment printed and added below image

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time...EXTRA
Classic Design
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafter's Cafe
Crafts Galore Encore
Do Al(l) Creatives
Incy Wincy
Morgan's ArtWorld
Pammie's Inky Pinkies

     That's all for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Party Barn

     This is for the last day of the 10th Birthday Celebration at Catch the Bug challenge where the overall theme has been "Down on the Farm."  Each day there has been a different challenge with a different theme and today Bugaboo Stamps gave away a freebie which can be used with today's photo theme (see below.)  You have until the 20th to get all your daily entries done and posted.  Here's a link to the FREEBIE.
   
     I used it, plus a barn from a set by Jan's Digi Stamps.  The party got so huge they had to move it outside the barn!

Here's the inspiration photo and I based my card on the sketch at Cheerful Sketches.

     

I also used ALL the colors from the Tic Tac Toe board at

  Color My Heart Color Dare,

although I muted the Sangria on the barn doors.

Colored with ProMarkers & watercolors
Sheep image is fussy cut & mounted on dimensional tape
Barn image cut with QuicKutz dies
Raffia wrapped around card front
Background dp is a scrap
Sentiment printed and hand cut.

     Challenges:
A Perfect Time...
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Creative Crafters
Dies R US
Do Al(l) Creatives
SheepSki Designs
World Wide Open

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Bears

     Day 4 in the 10th Birthday celebration at Catch the Bug.  There's a new challenge with a different theme each day this week and the theme for today is a Bingo board. 

I used the 3rd column: 3 layers, Die cuts, Gems

Colored with ProMarkers

Image and yellow CS cut with Spellbinders dies

Ribbon for bow was dyed with ProMarker

Signature, hand-sewn bow w/ pearl

Silver and gold gems added

Sentiment printed and hand cut

Kraft card base

     Challenges:

Arty Divas

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

I {heart} ProMarkers

Lemon Shortbread

Outlawz Twisted Thurs.

Passion for ProMarkers

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Partied Too Much

     My granddaughter's roommate has a birthday coming up and I made this card for her.  These are her fur babies, Eva (the pug) and Luna (the cat.)  Luna is now fully grown but this is such a memorable photo of the two of them shortly after Luna came to live there that I just had to use it.

     This one is a CAS design and I do a lot of CAS, mainly because I mail so many of my cards and flatter is better with the price of postage these days.  :-D

Tonic Studio dies
Stitched ribbon and black satin ribbon both from Crafty Ribbons
Kraft CS and burgundy CS

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Creations
Cute N Crafty
Dragonfly Dreams
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
My Favorite Things Colors

SUYP Cats
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

#1 on Your Birthday

     Our September challenge is starting today at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies and, as always, our theme is Anything Goes with a Critter.  We're sponsored this month by QKR Stampede and they have so many adorable creatures and critters, including bugs and snakes, any of which would count in our challenge.  But I chose to use this darling "Beaver" image and added one more masculine birthday card to my stash.

ProMarkers
QuicKutz die
Argyle dp from DCWV
Sheer gold ribbon
Accordion fold bow

     Challenges:
Creative Knockouts
Cutie Pie
Digi Choosday
House that Stamps Built
Passion for ProMarkers
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Work It Weds.

     Come play along with us this month, won't you?  Remember, you can also enter any creations made for our challenge over at QKR Stampede where their theme is always "Anything Goes."  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Purple Roses

     I've been going through my folder of images and projects which are awaiting completion, getting inspired all over again about how to use them.  I don't know if you have one of those folders but it holds images I've colored but not yet used and even uncolored images waiting for the ProMarkers or polychromos pencils. 

     I also store stamped images which others have given to me.  I belong to a group of ladies who regularly exchange images they have stamped, giving them to others in the group who then color and use them to make cards.  It's a great way to expand the number and kind of images you might have available.  These roses came from someone in that group and I have no information on who made the stamp or how old it might be.

The inspiration for my colors came from

The Paper Girls.

Colored with ProMarkers
Fussy Cutting
Heat embossed with "Bullfrog" EP
Hand sewn bow
Stamped sentiment

     Challenges:
Allsorts
Colour Crazy
Crafty Gals Corner
Cute Card Thurs.
Digi Choosday
Outlawz Stash
Southern Girls
TTCRD
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Fairy & The Unicorn

     Another birthday card today, this time for a young lady who loves fairies and unicorns.  The image, which comes from Digi Doodle Studios, couldn't have been better.

I started by using the colors from the 

Digi Doodle Studios FB Challenge 

and the sketch from Sweet Sketch Weds.

 

Colored with ProMarkers
Glitter on her hair & the unicorn's horn (enlarge photo to get better look)
Sue Wilson die (pink CS) & QuicKutz (circles)
Paper from DCWV "Basics" stack
Ribbon and hand tied bow w gem

     Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments
Cupcake Inspirations
Cute N Crafty
Dream Valley
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Greetings
Passion for ProMarkers
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Wishes

     This card was made using a wonderful freebie image from Beccy's Place.  The monthly challenges over there are almost like having a progressive challenge because Beccy always gives a freebie but even better, you can use the freebie or any other Beccy's image you have.

     In addition, Beccy gives an OPTIONAL twist and this month the option is to CASE yourself.  You can see the card I CASEd by going to my post from May 20.  Not only is it also a birthday card, but it has the same short-side, gate fold card.  I also added a die cut panel to the opposite flap.

ProMarkers
Lawn Fawn dies on image
Die-Versions die on panel
Signature bow

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Aud Sentiments
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Catz
Creative Inspirations
Lemon Shortbread
Paper Shelter
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

I'm Late !

     It's not often that I forget a birthday or forget to mail birthday cards I've already made, but it does happen and it annoys me when it does.  :-D   Best I can say is that I try to be prepared by having a belated card my stash which I can grab and send as soon as I realize I've missed a birthday.  Best I can do when I forget to mail a card already made it to put it in the mail that day!

     I used one of my QKR Stampede DT cards as an opportunity to add a belated card to my stash.  Today starts a new weekly challenge at QKR and our theme is always "Anything Goes."  The image I used for this card is called "Jogging 24211."

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with an embossed, Spellbinders' die.  I chose a black card base, wrapped silver ribbon around the front, added a polka dot, bowtie, bow, and adhered the printed sentiment.  Clean, simple, and masculine.  I love doing masculine cards - they are simpler than frilly and feminine projects, are usually easy to mail being flat, and simple cards are usually take less time to make.  Besides, I have more males in my family than females.  :-D

     Challenges:
Allsorts
Art Impressions
As You Like It
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting from the Heart
Cutie Pie (center column)
Di's Digi Designs
Dragonfly Dreams
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.

     Happy Crafting and come play with us this week.  NanaConnie