Easter Bunny Dandy

      I love this image from Beccy's Place, called "Easter Bunny."  It's fun and clever and he's dressed to the nines, making him such a dandy.  :-D  I merged another Beccy's image, the "Easter Basket" (reduced in size to work with Mr. Bunny), plus the sentiment, all before printing.

     I colored with my Sanjoki markers, then cut the whole thing with a QuicKutz die.  The Beccy's Place challenge has an optional tic-tac-toe board this month and I used the middle row: flowers/digi stamp/color w markers.  I dug through the scrap basket and found flowery paper and a bit of striped paper (both from Recollections stacks) which I used to make the background.  

     I added three flowers (Flora Doodles) which have tiny gem stones in the center as a finishing touch.

My design is inspired by the sketch at Cheerful Sketches

with the background turned horizontal.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Carlin's Card ...

Crafting Challenge

Crafts Galore ...

Do Al(l) Kreatives

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

SheepSki Designs

     That's it for today but I'll have two posts on Thursday and another one on Friday so check back, even if it's over the weekend.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

2 Year Old's Birthday

      I have a great granddaughter who is turning 2 at the end of this month, and although I've not yet met her (being in different states and nearly 1,000 miles apart), she knows that her NanaConnie is the one who sends hand made cards.  This is the card I'm sending this time.

     It's another card put together with all die cuts and this time, I used some negative portions of dies, things which either fall our of the die's design or what's left behind when the original die cut piece has already been used for another project.

     On this one, I stared by using my 'Linen' EF to dry emboss the card front.  The sentiment is the 'left behind' negative which I just couldn't bear to toss out.  It's from a Sizzix - Tim Holtz set of word dies.   The 'happy' and the 'birthday' are individual dies which I laid out, cut, and used on another birthday card but the way I laid them out meant that I had a scrap which could be trimmed into an interesting shape and used for this card.

     The giraffe die is from Cuts, and I cut them from orange and pink CS, then layered them onto the card front for a double exposure look.  The little stars are bits which fell out of a Hero Arts background die and I kept them for future use instead of throwing them away.  The final touch was to add the teeny-tiny gems (Recollections) to the center of the stars.

     Pretty quick and easy but a card which will be loved by a 2 year old.   :-D

       Challenges: 

Crafter's Cafe

Creations in Pink

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

Happy...Stampers Birthday

Happy...Stampers Dies

Outlawz Friday

Pammie's IP

     That's it for today.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Panda Birthday

      My sister-in-law and her granddaughter have birthdays this week and they will be celebrating them together.  My niece (SIL's daughter and granddaughter's mother) decided on a theme of panda bears.  While she and my daughter are working madly on decorations for the party, including making "bamboo" out of pool noodles and card stock leaves, I got started on birthday cards for each of them, and, yes, I did stick with the theme.  :-D  Today I'm sharing the one I made for my grandniece and will share the one for my SIL tomorrow.

     I searched for clip art, panda images, preferably pre-colored to save time, and found two which I thought really worked well together.  I had to check with my niece to ascertain her daughter's favorite color and it turns out it's the same as my own favorite, PURPLE !  How delightful that it worked so well with the image I had chosen.

     I embossed a scrap of CS and found another scrap, this time of dp, in the basket, using them to make the background.  The card was cut with a Tonic Studios die, then matted in white.  The sentiment came from Beccy's Place.  I finished the card by adding flowers and gems from Petaloo.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

A Perfect Time ...

Classic Design

Crafter's Cafe

Crafts Galore ...

Happy ... Stampers

Morgan's ArtWorld

Paper Funday

The Four Seasons

YSBP

     I hope you'll stop by tomorrow to see the card for my SIL.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Duchess

      My card today features one of my favorite roses, the Duchess.  I remember my mother had one of these bushes in her rose garden when I was a young child.  It was such a delicate pink with a hint of lavender and white edges on the petals.  I used this for a Mother's Day card in honor of my mom who's been gone for more than 30 years now.

     I used my Sanjoki markers to color the rose and leaves, then cut the image with a stitched die from CUTplorations.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The background paper came from a Paper House stack.  I added 3 rows of tiny gems along the right side and added one gem to the center of the rose.  It just didn't need any further embellishment.  :-D

     Challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms

Classic Design

Creatalicious

Creative Fingers

Cupcake Inspirations

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Friday

SheepSki Designs

The Four Seasons

Triple B

     That's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Vintage Perfumes

      My last two trips to the craft desk, I've been playing with some vintage ads I found on a clip art site and the two I turned into cards for Mother's Day will post on my blog today and tomorrow.  This first one is an advertisement for vintage perfumes in lovely fancy bottles.

     I printed the ad onto beige paper, added a bit of color to two of the bottles using pencils, then cut it with a QuicKutz die, and cut both frames with other dies from that same set.  The dark, metallic paper for one of the mats came from a very old stack by DCWV.   The small flowers are from Petaloo, and they have gems on them.  The ribbon came from the scrap basket and the sentiment was printed, then fussy cut.

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cutest Bunny Butt

      Is this the cutest 'Bunny Butt' ever?  It's from Can You Digi It and it's been in my stash forever!  Well, for a long time, anyway.  I just decided that it would make a cute Easter card so I colored it up with my new Sanjoki markers, then cut it with a Die-namics die.  

     The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I chose a dp scrap from the basket, cut it with the same Die-namics die and inset the image into it.  Then I embellished the card with a butterfly gem and with small rows of gems in the lower corner.

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Digi Choosday

Paper Funday

Paperminutes

Passion for Markers

Penny's P-C

Simon Says ...

     I'm off to my craft fair this morning but I'll have another post for you late this afternoon when I return home.  Wish me luck at the fair.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bunny & Butterfly

      I adore this image and it was free clip art that I found online!  I colored it with water color paints and cut it with a Spellbinders die.   This is a tent card, opening at the bottom instead of the side.  I found some Paper Studios dp that I thought worked perfectly so I added that for the background.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I thought it needed just a hint of embellishment so I added gems to the body of the butterfly.

     Challenges:

Butterfly (heather, hawk's blue, highland on the stems)

Creative Inspiration

Happy ... Stampers

My Favorite Things (colors)

Paper Funday

Paper Shelter

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

All Tuckered Out

      I clearly remember the days when my kids were so little that they were completely worn out after hunting Easter eggs in the early morning, often too tired to eat breakfast without at least a short nap beforehand.  When I saw this precious image from Mariola Budek, I just had to color it and make an Easter card for one of my great-grands.  :-D

     Generally speaking, I prefer images of critters better than people because mostly critters are cuter but this darling image let me do both so it's a real win-win!

     Once again, I used my new Sanjoki alcohol markers to color the image, then fussy cut it with scissors.  I mounted it onto dimensional tape and layered it onto a plain card front.  The sentiment was printed, cut with an Avery Elle die, and mounted on dimensional tape, also.  I added tiny flowers, made by Petaloo, and called it finished.  I really wanted the image to be the focus, not the embellishments, so I kept those to a minimum.  Another Easter card for the stash, which is growing slowly.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Creative Knockouts

Double D

I Love ProMarkers

Lil Patch of ...

Pattie's Creations

Penny's P-C

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     I'm heading back to the craft room where I have another 8 images colored and waiting to be turned into Easter cards.  I spent the entire morning and a good share of the afternoon coloring so that I could make some serious headway on Easter cards this evening and tomorrow morning.  Check back about this time tomorrow for another post.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Easter Peony

      I'm really scrambling to get all my Easter cards done!  For some reason, my mind kept telling me that Easter was in May this year but it's in April, and early April at that.  So, now I'm making 2 or 3 Easter cards each day (I need a total of about 25) and I'll post them as soon as possible, maybe one or two each day.

     This first one features a lovely image from my dear friend, Donna E.  She did several versions of this lovely peony, many in pastel colors but I used the B&W grayscale version, and colored it in rich tones of purple and pink.  I colored it with my new Sanjoki markers and cut the image piece with a scalloped die from Tonic Studios.  The first part of the sentiment is also from Donna E, and I added the "for Easter" to it before printing.  

     The background was made with water color paints on water color paper, ironed dry to set the colors. The rectangle of gems was made by putting three strips of gems together.  

Colors pulled from My Favorite Things color challenge.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Bastel-Traum

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafts Galore ...

Happy...Stampers

Papercraft

Paper Funday

Paper Shelter

YSBP

     If I get time, I'll try to post another Easter card later today but it's nearly noon in my time zone and my day has gotten really full.  In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Music for Your Birthday

      Aside from DT cards, I'm going to see if I can finish out this month with birthday cards and return to Valentine cards once we're into February.  Today's card features the January Progressive Challenge image from LeAnn's World.  

     The images was colored with water color paints, then cut with a Tonic Studios die.  The purple and blue CS pieces were all cut from scraps and QuicKutz dies were used.  The sentiment was cut with a die from Avery Elle.  I added the tiny yellow gemstones to fit in with the sketch I used (see below.)

The sketch came from Sweet Sketch Weds, turned a 1/4 turn.

     Challenges:

Birthstone (Amethyst)

Classic Design

Crafty Friends

LeAnn's World

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sweet Hedgies for a Valentine

      Can you tell I was thrilled to discover that the neighbor who gifted me her Penny Black stamps was as enamored with the hedgehogs as I am?   They are all just so cute!   I turned this one into yet another Valentine card, although it will work well in the future for nearly any occasion - birthday, Mother's Day, graduation, any gift giving event, even a non-occasion when someone needs a bit of encouragement or support.  Just add an appropriate sentiment and you're in!

     This image is water colored, then cut with an Unbranded die. The sentiment was hand written.  I wanted it pretty CAS so only added a scrap to frame it, and a tiny Petaloo flower with a teensy gem for a bit of flash and sparkle.

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Creative Inspirations (old stamp, new to me)

Creative Knockouts

Digi Choosday

Paper Funday

Penny Black Sat

Penny's P-C

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Ferret Love

      As I was making Valentine cards, I had a request from my eldest granddaughter for a card done in purple which featured a ferret.  She wanted it for a friend who loves ferrets and whose favorite color is purple (mine, too!)  She wanted this image used on the card so, of  course, I complied.  A new image for me!

     I love the pencil sketch aspect (although I have no idea who drew it but will happily give credit if anyone knows) and printed it onto lavender CS.  I used a ProMarker to add a frame of red around the heart, then cut the image with a die from Memory Box.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, and the edges were inked with another ProMarker.

     I cut another, larger rectangle with another Memory Box die and layered the two together on angles.  I put those onto a white CS background and added three flowers with gems from Petaloo.  The flowers were given to me by my granddaughter (given to her by another friend who's clearing out old crafting supplies) and although they are old, they are new to me.  Thanks, Granddaughter!  All of this made for a fun, CAS card for her friend on Valentine's Day.  My granddaughter hasn't seen it yet, but I know she'll love it.

     My favorite reason for sending cards is any holiday, whether they be world wide (like Christmas), national (like 4th of July), or personal (like birthdays.)  So having a good reason to make a Valentine card that will be sent to someone who appreciates it is a wonderful thing.  Of course, the real reason I send them is so that I have a way to get rid of all the cards I make instead of having them pile up around me, creating a serious danger of being buried under a ton of paper!  lol

     Challenges:

Art Impressions

As You Like It

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Inspirations

Creative Knockouts

Outlawz Thursday

Pattie's Creations

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Something Wicked

      It's Day 21 in the month long Halloween challenge at LeighSBDesigns and so far I've managed to play each day.

This is also my Day 21 entry for the
 LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop.

 

     I started with an svg from Silhouette Store on white CS.  I cut it with a QuicKutz die and mounted it onto periwinkle CS, also cut with a QuicKutz die.  I used purple CS for the card front (my favorite color in any season!)  Once everything was layered together, I added a sheer bow with pearl and a row of purple gemstones for embellishment.

     Challenges:

Addicted to CAS

Aud Sentiments

Creatalicious

Creative Knockouts

Creative Moments

Dare 2B Artzy

Outlawz Thurs Twist

Papercraft

Your Scrapbook Place

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Over the Fence

      I'm really excited about today's card !  The image (a grayscale, digital coloring book page, reduced in size) of this curious cat peeking over the fence into the neighbor's yard reminds me so much of my sweet Cleo (who passed over the Rainbow Bridge in 2015.)   She was one of my favorite feline fur babies ever.  She was primarily a house cat but on those few occasions when she begged to go outside, she had such a curiosity about everything around her.  However, she was still a bit fearful of anything other than her own yard.  She wasn't a cat to wander about, much preferring the security of her own fenced back yard.  But she did love to climb the fence for a peep out into the world beyond, even when that "world" was only the neighbor's yard next door.

     So, this card celebrates the best of her curiosity and brings warm memories of her flooding into my mind.  The image was colored with water colors, then cut with a Tonic Studios die.  The green CS in the background was dry embossed with my 'Linen' embossing folder.  The squares of dp are from Your Next Stamp and they were scraps left in the basket from another project.  I cut them with a Spellbinders die.  They perfectly fit this color combo.

     The sentiment was printed and cut with a die from Avery Elle.  I inked the edges of both the sentiment and the image before layering them onto the background.  For a tiny bit of embellishment, I added the three gems in the upper corner and called it finished.

     Challenges:

Can You Handle ...

Classic Design

Colour Crazy

Crafts Galore Encore

Crafty Hazelnut's

Dare 2B Artzy

Happy Little Stamper

Polkadoodles

SheepSki Designs

SUYP Cats

Your Next Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

National Dance Day

      Did you know that today is National Dance Day?  I knew there was such a thing but I never remember what day of the year it is.  I do usually remember that it's some time in September.  Anyway, my card today celebrates the day with a Vienna Waltz.  :-D

    Everything on this card was done with scraps from the basket.  The image is an svg file and the image background was cut with a die from my very first Spellbinders set, basic squares.  The cutwork portion of the black card front was cut with a Memory Box die.  In keeping with my use of scraps, I used three of the bits which fell out of that cutwork to make the embellishments on the image piece.  I added tiny gemstones to those 3 bits.  The bow is one of my signature bows, sewn by hand and with a pearl added.  How's that for a perfect monochromatic, scrap card?

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Festive Fri

Pammie's Inky ...

Paperbabe

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

Your Next Stamp

     Happy Dance Day, whatever type of dancing you love.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Count Your Easter Eggs

      It's a new month, this time April, so that makes today April Fool's Day but we have no tricks or jokes in the new challenge at QKR Stampede.  We just want you to have fun playing along with our Anything Goes theme, every 1st and 15th of each month.

     For my DT card this time, I chose to use an image called "Easter Girl."  I flipped the image side to side before printing.  I colored with ProMarkers using a combo of purple and turquoise green, one of my favorites.  I actually like purple and nearly any other color for color combos.  :-D

     I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders, then inlaid several of the pieces in the bottom half that drop out of the frame so that I could keep that portion of the image intact.  The background dp and CS (including the glitter CS) are all from different Recollections stacks and all 3 of them happen to be scraps or recycled bits left over from previous projects.  

     I printed the sentiment, cut it with an Avery Elle die, and matted it before adding it to the card.  My final touch was the row of recycled rhinestones (from an old cell phone case.)

      As You Like It asks if we prefer Recycling or buying new.  I always prefer using up a scrap or recycling something because I hate seeing things go to waste.  Only the tiniest scraps actually make it to trash can in my house.  It saves on the budget, too!  :-D 

      Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Country View Craft

Crafty Catz

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creatalicious

Creative Fingers

Incy Wincy

Mirtillamente

SheepSki Designs

The Four Seasons

      I hope you're going to come play in our challenge.  Remember, it's an Anything Goes theme.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Mad Turkey !

      Remember "Mad Cow Disease" from a couple decades ago?  Well, this is a completely different version (no disease, only behavior) but it has to do with Mad Turkeys in the USA and only in November.  lol   This is my DT card for I Love ProMarkers with an image from our sponsor, Dr. Digi, which is called "Tough Turkey."  Our theme for this challenge is "Make it Funny."

     Nobody is taking this turkey to the oven (or anywhere else for that matter!)

     I used ProMarkers (naturally) to color the image, then cut it with a Dare 2B Artzy die.  The card front is dry embossed and the diamond pattern ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I added three, small black gems, then fussy cut a sentiment and added it.  Fairly CAS but the 'white' space is brown.  :-D

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Crafty Catz

Creatalicious

Cupcake Inspirations

Dies R Us

Di's Digi Designs

Incy Wincy

Inspiration Station (determined animals!)

Paperbabe

STAMPlorations  

Your Next Stamp

     I do hope you're going to come and play in our challenge.  Just put together something fun and funny an enter it for a prize from Dr. Digi.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

When Black Cats Prowl ...

      This fabulous image is from a set by my dear friend, Donna Ellis, and the set is also the prize at the current Inspiration Station challenge.  I just had to do this card to show it off.  :-D

     I merged the sentiment and the image before printing it in gray scale.  I used my ProMarkers to color the image and added a few highlights with a white gel pen.  I cut the image with a QuicKutz rectangle die and then used a Fiskars punch on three of the corners.  The black, glitter paper is from a DCWV stack (now retired), and the purple corners are dp from Paper House.  

     I added one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, plus a row of gemstones across each of the lower corners.  The bow has a tiny butterfly on it which was a drop-out piece from a Spellbinders die used for a different project months ago.

     Challenges:

Colouring in Scrapland

Cupcake Inspirations

Double D

Lemon Shortbread

Mirtillamente

Mod Squad

Simon Says Stamp

SUYP Cats

TTCRD

Two Old Bats

     Have a great day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Newest Reindeer

      This adorable image is the freebie for the Progressive Challenge at LeAnn's World.  It's called "Dillon" and I reversed the image before printing it.  I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then cut both it and the frame with oval dies from QuicKutz.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     The background dp came from a Graphic 45 stack and it's really old.  I've probably had that in my Christmas stash since 2014!  I added a wrap of satin ribbon plus a hand-sewn, polka dot bow with blingy gemstones.  The bow is made from grosgrain ribbon and gives wonderful texture, both actual and visual.  :-D

     Challenges:

2 Sisters on the Blog

12 Months...Christmas

Christmas Crafts ... (reindeer, ribbon)

Clever Dexter (sparkly gems + opt colors)

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creative Moments

Cute Card Thurs

I love ProMarkers

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Moonflower Lullaby

      I love the name of this fabulous Conie Fong image almost as much as I love the image itself!  It's called "Moonflower Lullaby" and that makes your tongue happy just to say it.  :-D  In the store, the sample is colored in a pink pallet, but for my DT card I've done her in purples, lavenders, and magenta with a tiny bit of quince green in the leaves.

     I used my ProMarkers to color her, then cut the image with an Unbranded die.  The background die with the butterflies and flowers is from Cuts dies.  The sentiment was printed and cut with another Unbranded die.  I added quartz gems to the butterfly heads for just the tiniest bit of sparkle.

     Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps ...

Butterfly (Quinacridone, Quartz, Quince)

Colouring in Scrapland

Dream Valley

I {heart} ProMarkers

Outlawz Greetings

Paper Shelter

Passion for Markers

TTCRD

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting and I hope you'll come and play in one of the challenges at Conie Fong this month.  We have 2 each month; one for just coloring of a Conie Fong image and the other for completed projects, like card, with a Conie Fong image.   

NanaConnie