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

Make a Wish at the Wishing Well

     It's Friday!  Hooray!  Of course, that means there's another weekly challenge starting over at QKR Stampede.  Our theme is always Anything Goes.

     I'm using the "Wishing Well 5601" image for a birthday card which is in my stash now, ready for the next family birthday.  In my family, we have a lot of summer birthdays and I need to have my stash well stocked before then.

     I colored with ProMarkers, cut the image with a stitched die from CUTplorations, and set it at an angle over two colored doilies which had been mounted onto the kraft card front.  I added a bowtie bow and called it finished.

     Challenges:
Classic Design Team
Colour Crazy
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Creative Craft Cottage
Creative Moments
Double Trouble
Outlawz Festive Friday
Paperbabe Stamps

     I know my post is a short one today, but I'm having some rather serious shoulder problems and I can't spend more than about 10 minutes at the keyboard, then I have to go and rest for an hour.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

More Birthday Celebrations

     This is another post with multiple cards for the week long, Birthday Bash over at Catch the Bug.  Today, I'm starting with the card I did for the Tuesday challenge.

Tuesday Theme:  BINGO Top Row:  Die Cut/ Sentiment/ Texture

     This sentiment is an image from Bugaboo Stamps and it's a new one for me.  I printed it onto aqua CS and used a black ProMarker to enhance the depth of the color on the "Happy Birthday" portion.  I die cut the sentiment with border dies from Spellbinders.

     The texture on the white background is dry embossed with a folder from Cuttlebug, another new item for my stash.  I used my bow maker to tie the polkadot, bowtie bow.

     Challenges for this card:
Crafting by Designs
Crafting from the Heart
Cuttlebug Mania
Digi Choosday
Incy Wincy
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown


Wednesday Theme: Make Us Laugh

     Coloring was done with ProMarkers and the image was cut with a scalloped die from Sizzix.  The green, grosgrain ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and I simply cut a strip and adhered it like washi tape, using double stick tape on the back of it.

     I printed and hand cut the sentiment, inking the edges before adding it.  The bow is one of my signature bows, this time with a gem added instead of a pearl.

     Challenges for this card:
Creative Inspirations
I {heart} ProMarkers
Paper Funday
Paper Shelter
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds.


Thursday Theme: Color Challenge

                            

     I used ProMarkers to color the image (a new one for me), selecting colors that were featured in the inspiration photo.   I used soft, golden, neutrals as much as possible on the critters, keeping the bold and bright colors for the word "Birthday."  I cut the image with a large, rectangle die from QuicKutz and mounted it onto a gray-blue card base.  The bronzy-gold ribbon was recycled from a craft store bouquet and the blue ribbon was in my stash.  Fun how the edges of the two ribbons matched up.

     Challenges for this card:

Cupcake Inspirations

  

Cutie Pie

Dream Valley

Outlawz Festive Friday

Pammie's Inky Pinkies

Simon Says Stamp & Show

     Well, that's six more birthday cards for my stash and I'll post one more, the last for the Catch the Bug Birthday Bash this week, later this afternoon.  I'm so on target with my time frame for all the house projects which have to be done that I'm feeling calm and almost relaxed in the midst of the chaos.  lol   I'm sure that'll change tomorrow morning when three more major projects are on the list, including a meeting to sell some of the furniture pieces I'm not keeping!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Dance of the Snow People

     I'm finally getting my card for the November Outlawz Progressive Challenge posted.  The freebie this month is from Drawn by Krista and it is actually 2 separate images but called Snowman Couple.  I merged them together so they look like they're dancing in the snow.  This is another card made primarily from scraps which were already on the craft table.

I started with the sketch from the Outlawz.

     I colored with a combination of ProMarkers, Copics, and gel inks for highlights, then cut them with a stitched, scalloped die from Memory Makers.  I matted them with a hexagon (QuicKutz die) cut from a dp scrap and I inked the edges with teal ink. 

     The cityscape paper is another scrap, this one from Doodlebug, and the turquoise strip was a scrap from my Christmas stash, probably DCWV.  The narrow, sparkly ribbon was in my basket of ribbon scraps.  The final touch was to tie a bow-tie bow from long scrap of lace and die it with an alcohol marker.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Friends
Di's Digi Designs
Hiding in My Craft Room
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Pixie's Snippets

     I'll have a second post again today for the next in the 30 Days of Holiday cards at Beccy's Place.  Check back later today to see it.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Playing in the Snow

     I adore Magnolia Stamps' Tildas and all their various adventures.  Of the few companies whose rubber stamps I kept in my collection when I went digital, Magnolias were first and I must have close to 75 of them, collected over the years.  So, having shared that information with you, I'm ashamed to admit this particular stamp had never been inked before.  I've now corrected that neglect.  :-D

     Nothing I say is going to do justice to the sparkle on this card.  The sparkle just doesn't show up no matter how I try to photograph it.  Sigh...

     The image is colored with Copics and ProMarkers, then cut and corner-punched with a Fiskars punch.  I found a large scrap of lace, laid it across a piece of shimmery, deep red, dp and tucked the edges to the back where I adhered them with double-sided tape.  After the image was added, I used glue and glitter to the snowflakes in the image and on the flowers in the lace.

     While the glitter was drying, I dug out some glittered CS and cut the "Merry Christmas" sentiment with a die from Die-Versions.  Unfortunately, I simply could not capture the sparkle on the sentiment but it's there.  I tied one of my favorite bow-tie bows using red, polka dot ribbon and added it.  My final touch was to add two, small, sparkly, Card Candi dots; one is on her hat and the other in the lower corner of the image piece.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Angie's Digital Stamps
Christmas with the Cuties
Crafting from the Heart
Dream Valley
Incy Wincy
Magnolia-licious
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Stamping Sensations
Try Stampin' on Tues Technique

     I'll have a second post today for the Day 7 challenge at Beccy's Place if I have energy enough to sit at the computer long enough to draft another blog post.  :-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

Flying Pigs and Salute to Lewis Carroll

     " 'The time has come,' the Walrus said,

      To talk of many things:

Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax —

      Of cabbages — and kings —

   And why the sea is boiling hot —

    And whether pigs have wings."

       Of course, that's the famous passage from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and my DT card today for the newest challenge at SheepSki Designs salutes the author with this darling image called "Pigs Can Fly."  

       From the time I was a young child and first read (or had read to me) the 'Alice' book (as I called it), I was fascinated by the idea of pigs having wings.  As a teen, hearing the old adage about something happening "when pigs fly," I was just as intrigued.  So, when Andrea first drew this image, I knew I had to use it.  Since the optional twist on this month's usual "Anything Goes" challenge is "For Kids," it seemed the perfect time.

       I colored with ProMarkers and added gold and white gel ink on the wings.  I die cut the image with a die from Die-namics.  The scalloped frame is cut with a Memory Box die which is also stitched.

       I found a scrap of dp in my basket of leftovers which had stitching and it seemed perfect.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment, inked the edges and added it.  Finally, I tied a "bowtie" bow and added it below the sentiment.  Voila', finished!  And it makes me happy - like being a child again and dreaming of magical things like pigs with wings.  :-D

       Challenges:

Aud Sentiments (top row)

CARDZ TV

Creative Fingers

Cute Card Thurs

Lemon Shortbread

Outlawz Color

Outlawz Festive Friday

Passion for ProMarkers

Time Out

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sketch Saturday Guest Designer

     This is my fourth (and final) card as a Guest Designer for Sketch Saturday and I'm having so much fun with the sketches and sponsors.  This week, we're sponsored by Little Miss Muffet and I've used their darling "Pippa" image.   She definitely looks like she's ready to conquer her first day at school !  Don't tell her it could also be used for someone's birthday.  lol

     Here's the sketch for this week but I turned it a quarter turn and reversed the layers because that better fit my image shape.

Here's my card:

     I used ProMarkers to color sweet Pippa, then cut her with a Bo Bunny die.  I used another die from that same set to cut the delicate, pink frame and inlaid the two.  The dp rectangle came from my scrap basket and didn't even need trimming; it was the perfect size as it was.

     I printed and hand cut the sentiment, then began looking for a single embellishment.  I thought about a flower but decided on the two-tone, bowtie, bow.  I'm loving the monochromatic pink of this card.

     Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge

Aud Sentiments

Bastel-Traum

CASual Friday

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Sentiments

Cute Card Thurs.

I {heart} ProMarkers
Simon Says Stamp

Time Out

     Have yourselves a great little weekend and feel free to come play with us this week.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie