Magical Birthday

      A new challenge begins over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies where our theme is always Anything Goes, except on the occasional 5th Monday in a month when we have a theme you must follow.   This being a third Monday, we don't have to worry about that.

     Our sponsor for this challenge is CAS-ual Fridays and you should check out their wonderful products. 

    I've made another card with all die cuts.  The butterfly die is from Cuts; the wheat die from Die-namites.  I dearly love butterflies!  They have to be my favorite insects.  Their colors are so varied and marvelous that we crafty people can do almost anything with them.       :-D

     The sentiment die (Cut & Make) is really special to me because it was sent to my by my friend, Faith, and I love the look of it!  Thank you, Faith.  :-D  The background dp is a scrap from an old (very old !) DCWV stack.

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Lil Patch of ...

Mod Squad

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Polkadoodles

Word Art Weds

     Come play with us this week.  How can you beat an Anything Goes theme?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

We 3 Mice

      One more card inspired by a progressive challenge, this time at Imagine That!   Aren't these kingly mice adorable?  

     I colored with my ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut the image with an Unbranded die.  I inked the edges of the die cut to give it a bit more definition.  I dug through my Christmas dies, found the nativity by Die-namites and cut brown CS for the background.

     Actually, I cut one from brown CS and another from black CS because I wasn't sure which one I was going to use on this card but I'll show you what I did with the black one at the bottom of this post.

     I made one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, dyed it brown with a ProMarker, and used it for embellishment.  One more Christmas card for this year's stash.

     Challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's

Dare 2B Artzy

Di's Digi Designs

Double Trouble

Dragonfly Dreams

House ... Stamps Built

I (heart} ProMarkers

Gem of a Challenge

Taylormade ...

Three Room Studio

     Oh, I nearly forgot that I promised to show you what I did with the black nativity die cut.  A second card for the Christmas stash, quick and easy, and all scraps.

          Challenges:

12 Months...Christmas

Crafty Gals Corner

Digi Doodle Studios

Ike's World

Winter Wonderland

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Christmas Morning

     My latest card for Beccy's Place, using the letter "R," is all about Santa sleeping in on Christmas morning.  While the rest of us are scrambling out of bed at daybreak to see what he stuffed in the stockings the night before, Santa is doing his best to get a few winks of sleep after his marathon tour of the world on Christmas Eve.  What he doesn't need is a Raucus Rooster Rarin' to crow, even if that Rooster is out in the toy barn.  lol

I started with the sketch from Sketch Saturday

but I turned it a 1/4 turn and used a circle instead of an oval.

     I used my ProMarkers to color this image, another of Beccy's quilted critters, all in Ruby Red and Rain forest green.  I die cut it with a stitched circle die from Die-namites.   I found two scraps of Christmas dp, cut them with the same circle die, and framed the Rooster with them.

     The sentiment is computer generated and hand cut, then added to the card front below the image.  The two little embellies, a Christmas tree and a Christmas stocking, are mounted on Raised foam dots.  I hand tied a Ribbon bow and added it to the top corner.

     Challenges:
Beccy's Place
Christmas Cards
Crafty Friends
Di's Digi Designs
Hiding in my Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pile It On
Ribbon Girl

    Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Friendship Card for September Card Chain

     Each month, I participate in the Card Chain Challenge and this is the one I mailed off to my recipient in September.

     No coloring this time, just die cuts.  The butterfly cut was done with a die from Die-namites and the "Hello" sentiment came from a Poppy Stamps die.  The two corner flourishes were cut from the outer edges of the butterfly die cut.

     The card base is actually white but I covered the card front with metallic purple paper which looks great in real life but gives a terrible (and impossible to avoid) glare when trying to photograph it.  :-D

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps & More
Butterfly Challenge (purple quartz)
Hiding in My Craft Room
Inspiration Destination
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Sisterhood of Crafters

     Short post today but it's  been a really busy weekend and the upcoming week isn't going to be much better.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Think Pink in October

     I love the whole "Think Pink" or "Pink Ribbons" as an October focus for Breast Cancer Awareness.  I'm one of the survivors (15 years this fall) and I take every possible opportunity to remind women to get those girls checked.  Early detection is still our best tool in the fight against breast cancer.  If you haven't scheduled your mammogram yet, pick up the phone and call for an appointment.

     I'm celebrating my first Think Pink card this month with a darling image from AuroraWings called "Carnation Sprite."

I started with the sketch from Sketch Saturday.

     I began coloring with my ProMarkers, then added highlights to the pink petals with my Lyra pencils.  I used a VersaMark pen on the very edges of the petals and heat embossed them with white EP.   I started coloring the green part of the carnation but then found a perfect green dp scrap and paper pieced that one section, adding a few darker shadows to the tips with my ProMarkers.

     Both the image and the sentiment are cut with Stitched Rectangle dies (Die-namics), and then I matted them with pink dp.  The darker dp for the background is a leftover scrap from a 12 x 12 paper that's been in my stash forever.  I added the lace and then began layering everything together.

     I cut the leaves from snippets of paper using two different dies (Cheery Lynn for the green leaves and both shades of pink leaves came from a rose die (Die-namites) but I used only the snipped leaves) and layered them around the sentiment.

     This card will stand on the counter in my doctor's office, right next to a poster reminding women about scheduling mammograms.  :-D

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
CAS on Sunday
Cheery Lynn
Crafting with Dragonflies
Crafty Ribbons
Di's Digi Designs
Dragonfly Dreams
In the Pink
Jo's Scrap Shack
One Stitch at a Time
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Pixie's Snippets Playground
Robyn's Fetish
Scrapper's Delights

     Do me two favors this month, won't you?  Schedule your own mammogram and spread the word to every woman you know.  Thanks and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Missing You

     This lovely image is from The East Wind and I just loved coloring her!  She was perfect for autumn colors and leaves.

     I colored her with my ProMarkers, then used a die from Spellbinders to cut her out.  I cut yellow CS with that same die and used the little leaves that fell out of the frame to insert into the white frame of the image piece.  I adhered a scrap of fall leaves dp to the card front, then layered on the image and the yellow leaves.

     I used a leaf die (Die-namites) to cut both yellow and brown CS, and added those leaves.  The die makes a strip of leaves so I had to cut them apart to use them the way I did.  Final touch was the burlap bow which has been 'dyed' with a Buttercup Yellow ProMarker.

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
Brown Sugar
Cards in Envy
Crafty Boots
Crazy Challenge
Creative Corner
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Melonheadz Friends
Paper Girls
Pile It On
Time Out
Whoopsi Daisy

     I really hope fall is going to arrive soon.  Yesterday, in the last week of September, we hit 101 degrees!  That's more than 50 days we had over-100-degree temperatures during the three summer months (nearly 20 more than is usual for us and I hate every one of them!) and now 2 more days over 100 even though it's officially fall.  I'm tired of the heat.  I want cool days, crisp nights, and no thoughts of hot days for at least another 8 months.  Is that too much to ask?  lol  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" BOX BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX. SORRY.

Not Looking Grateful

     Today I'm sharing a Designer's Inspiration card with you over at MHK Designs and it's a card which pleases me greatly because I managed to use a really cute, non-holiday image (Cat to be Kitten Me) and turned it into a fun Thanksgiving card.

I was totally inspired by the autumn feel of the photo at Catch the Bug.

     I colored that sweet feline with ProMarkers, cut it with a Spellbinders die, and used houndstooth paper from the Autumnal Accents set in the background.  Then I added die cut leaves (Die-namites) in offset layers and tied one of my latest bowtie bows for embellishment.  Although the set comes with several sentiments, the one I made up with Thanksgiving in mind just seemed to fit perfectly with the expression on his face.  :-D

     Don't forget the September/October challenge is open and we have a wonderful inspiration photo for our theme.  However, if you use an image from MHK Designs, then the theme is "Anything Goes" whether or not you take inspiration from the photo.  Click on the "Current Challenge" tab at the top of the main MHK Designs page to go to the challenge and to see the inspiration photo.

     Challenges:
Cards in Envy
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Creative Corner
DL.ART
Hiding in My Craft Room
Outlawz Festive Friday
Pile It On
SUYP Cats
Word Art Weds.

     Hope to see you there.  

   

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" BOX BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX. SORRY.

Whoo Loves Fall?

     A new challenge starts today at Scrapy Land with a theme of "Anything Goes" and I'm still with them as a Guest Designer for another month.  I admit I've gone overboard on new die sets since starting with them in July but what's a gal to do when there are so many fabulous dies and when that same gal loves dies of all kinds?  :-D

     I'm into fall/autumn cards now and this one is another which I'll probably use for a fall birthday.  There are several of those in my family; a daughter, a granddaughter, great granddaughter, a grandson... and three friends.  Yeah, several.

     The image is from Bugaboo Stamps and I used my new polychromos pencils again but I'm much happier with the coloring this time.  It's richer and darker, not at all pastel, so I am learning as I go along.  I think the blending is the best I've done, so far.  I'm hoping it continues to get better.  :-D

     I did all kinds of fun techniques on this card, starting with the die cuts which are framing the image.  Those are cut with two dies from the St. Lucia set in the Caribbean Collection by Sue Wilson Designs.  I cut two colors of cardstock and then inlaid them together.

     I also used die cuts for my embellies.  The leaf was cut twice (plaid dp and chocolate brown CS) with a "Maple Leaf Border" die from Die-namites, then I cut a single leaf from the row of leaves that make up the border.  For the pumpkins, I used the "Pumpkin Patch" die from Impression Obsession.  Again, I cut two colors of CS and offset them so that each orange pumpkin is shaded with brown.  It gives some amazing visual dimension while still being very flat and easy to mail.

     The sparkly flowers in the upper corner of the background are heat embossed using a stamp, Versamark ink, and a sparkly embossing powder from Sparkle n Sprinkle called Sienna Star.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
A Bit More Time to Craft
Card Mania
Classic Design Team Open
Crafter's Cafe
Crafts and Me
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper
Cute as a Button
Delicious Doodles
Die Cut Divas
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Not Just Cards
Petal Lu
Sisters of Craft
Sparkles Forum

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our challenge this fortnight.  You can do anything you like as long as you use a die from one of the more than 40 companies carried by the Scrapy Land store.   You can find a complete list of manufacturers on the left sidebar of the main page on their site.   Come play, won't you?  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie






St. Lucia 








Pumpkin Patch


Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" ICON BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX. SORRY.

Earth's Bounty

     Today I did a card all in wonderful fall sepia tones and it's very different from my normal, inside-the-box, coloring ideas.  :-D  The image is "Earth Fairy" by Fabrika Fantasy.

     I used my polychromos pencils again but colored the fruits with my ProMarkers and added highlights to her wings with a white gel pen.  I knew I wanted it to be really CAS so I cut the image into a simple but fairly large square, inked the edges, then added it to a kraft card base, tilting it at an angle.   

     I do love large, square cards because they give lots of room for writing personal notes inside or even letting a group of people sign the card without having to squeeze their greetings and signatures into tiny spaces.  Square cards also make CAS look even more CAS because there's more 'white space' on the front.  :-D

     I used a scrap of paper lace and added die cut leaves (Die-namites) stacked together, and three tiny, hand-cut acorns to make an autumn embellishment.  It's CAS and flat, so it will be easy to mail.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Di's Digi Designs

Double D

Julia Spiri

Moving Along with the Times

Outlawz Twisted Thursday

Pencil Case

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Pile It On

Pixie's Crafty Workshop

Simon Says Stamp

Sweet Stampin'

     Happy Monday everyone.  I understand that my friends in the UK are on a Bank Holiday today and I know my friends in the US are looking forward to a long weekend coming up with Labor Day being next Monday.  I'm going to be stamping and coloring both of those days.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" ICON BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX. SORRY.

Birthday Garden

     I've been sorting through my huge collection of dies, trying to get them organized into some sort of order.  Well, you know what happens during forays into the crafting room to "get things organized" -- we get distracted by wanting to create something with the hidden goodies we find.  This card is the result of one of those distractions.

     This one is a bit different from my usual colored image and embellies.  Instead, it's all done with die cuts.  The primary die cut was done with a die called "Gardening" from die-namites.  I cut white CS, then red, and then green, and used pieces to inlay the design.  The sentiment is printed and fussy cut.  The flower and the butterfly are also die cuts but not cut by me.  They were embellies I found hiding in my stash.

     I love that stitched ribbon, and I think it's from Really Reasonable Ribbon but it might be from a local craft store.  It was in my stash but not labelled in any way.

     Challenges:
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
Crafty Calendar
Fussy and Fancy
Imagine That
Outlawz Paper ala Mode
Quick Quotes
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Scrapper's Delight
Simply Papercraft
Stamping Boutique

     Boy, does it feel good to be back in my routine again!   Mostly, it feels so good to be crafting again.  :-D  Thanks for stopping by, my friends.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie