24 "Carat"

      For my DT card today, I'm using one of Conie Fong's new releases "Bunny with Carrot," which can be found on sale in the store.  

     This may be my last Easter card (last made; I still have quite a few to post) but it could also be used for a birthday, for Mother's Day, or nearly any occasion for a special person.

     What fun this was to color!  I used my Sanjoki markers to color the image, then cut it and the frame with dies from Tonic Studio.  The background was made using  paper scrap (Recollections) and I hand tied the bow using grosgrain ribbon.  The sentiment was printed and cut with another Tonic Studio die.

     Challenges:

Outlawz Monday

     I may have another post today but it may have to wait until tomorrow.  I'm still a bit under the weather.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Sharing

      Another challenge starts today at QKR Stampede and runs for the next 2 weeks.  My DT card features an image called "Scarecrow and Friends" and I thought it really reflected the sharing we do at Thanksgiving when we all gather and share the feast (if not the cooking - lol) before us.  Sharing is just part of gratitude and thankfulness, I've found.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and cut with a Spellbinders die.  The darker paper (which is dry embossed and lightly sanded) and the kraft CS pieces are scraps from the basket, as is the dp framing the fussy cut sentiment.  The pumpkin is fabric and the ribbon is grosgrain.  Everything was mounted onto a piece of white CS which I embossed with my Linen EF.

       I love coloring critters and use far more critter images than people but I'm trying to improve my coloring on people so I've begun looking for and using images which combine critters and people.  Here's another one.  To me, coloring fur or feathers is easier than coloring human faces and hair.

I chose my colors from the board at CMH Color Dare #468.

blue/orange/brown/tan/red + B&W

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Crafty Catz

Colour Crazy

Cutie Pie

Di's Digi Designs

Incy Wincy

Outlawz PAM

Pixie's Snippets

Three Room Studio

     I hope you'll come over and play in our challenge this fortnight.  We always have an "Anything Goes" theme so you may enter any card you like.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thankful

      So, another week has gone by, we're closer to the fall holidays, and another challenge has started at Creative Knockouts!   This week, our theme is "Thankful" and our fantastic sponsor is LeAnn's World 101.  I used a sweet image called "Rainy Walk" and out where I live we've had a terrible drought for more than two years now so I'd be really grateful for a bit of rain (or a lot of it!) :-D

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with an oval die from QuicKutz, as were the two sentiment phrases.  The background paper was water colored.  The pale orange, grosgrain, ribbon came from my stash and I added a flower sequin to the bow.  Pretty CAS design but that showcases the image.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

CCC Digi Creations

Clever Dexter

Country View

Crafter's Cafe

Dare 2B Artzy

Dies R Us

LeAnn's World

Lil Patch of ...

The Four Seasons

     Come play with us this week, won't you?  We love seeing what you create and you could win some really delightful digis from LeAnn's World.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

In Sympathy

      Time for the newest challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies where the theme is "Anything Goes" (unless it's a 5th Monday when we have a theme.)  Our sponsor this week is Jan's Digi Stamps and while they provided images for the team to use, I chose one from my own collection.  The lily image comes from a set called "Easter Blessings" but it's versatile enough to use on nearly any kind of card.  I needed a sympathy card and it was perfect.

     Because I needed this card right away, I used one of the pre-colored images in the set and fussy cut it with scissors.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The faintly striped, background paper was a scrap left over from cutting a large scrapbook sheet of paper.  The wide, green, grosgrain ribbon made a lovely bow for this otherwise CAS card.

     Challenges:

Crafty Creations

Creative Fingers

Outlawz Twist Thurs

Paperbabe

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Polkadoodles

Star Stampz

TTCRD

Word Art Weds

     Are you going to come and play along in our challenge this week?  We'd love to see what you create.  Maybe you'll inspire one of us!  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Kitties in the Pumpkin Patch

      These adorable kittens, all siblings from the same litter I'm sure, are spending November evening in the pumpkin patch under the full moon.  The image, called "Pumpkin Kitties," is one of the newest releases from Conie Fong and it's on sale for another day or two.  

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut the image with a Die-Namics stitched die.  I layered two of the dp together, then cut them with a CUT-plorations die.  The background dp is from a K & Co. stack.  I added a strip of grosgrain ribbon and tied a triple loop bow, using sheer ribbon from my stash of scraps.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Cute Card Thurs

Creative Fingers

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Scrapping4Fun

TicTacToe

 (Diagonal: Ribbon/ Coloring/ Animal)

Uniko

     Don't forget to come and play in one of our two challenges this month.  We have one for colored Conie Fong images only and a second one for completed projects using Conie Fong images.  Both can be found on the Facebook site.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Ballroom Kind of Evening

      It's funny how unexpected events influence what we do with our cards and crafting.  I recently found myself at a live Ballroom Dance Competition weekend.   In my childhood, I remember watching Ballroom competitions on television back when nobody had even thought of color TVs and we thought it was the most incredibly beautiful thing without any sense that it could also be colorful.  All the ladies were so elegant and the gentlemen so suave.  I fell in love with each of the couples as they danced and with ballroom dancing as a whole.

     After seeing the live event a week or so ago, I went on a search for dance images.  Most were black and white or gray scale but some were in color which I knew I could print in grayscale.  After some experimentation, I printed half a dozen images onto water color paper and dug out the water color paints.  But more about those in later posts except to say now that my love affair with watercolor has begun again.  

     This is the first card I completed.  The image is printed in gray scale onto a scrap of ivory/beige CS, then colored lightly with ProMarkers and gel ink highlights.  I cut it with a QuicKutz rectangle die and framed it with another rectangle cut with a die one size larger.  The background is a scrap of Recollections dp.  The large grosgrain bow is mounted onto a CS strip and added to the upper corner.  I'll add a sentiment when I decide how this one will be used.

I was inspired by this simple sketch at My Favorite Things.

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Colouring in Scrapland

Digi Choosday

Double D

Lemon Shortbread

Penny's Paper-Crafty

TTCRD

Word Art Weds

     Tomorrow starts a new month and I'll be posting 3 new DT cards in about a four hour span so be sure to stop by at some point during the day to check them out.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Hanging the Christmas Bunting

      Another new weekly challenge is starting now at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and our theme is "Anything Goes."  We're being sponsored by Polkadoodles and they were generous enough to supply images for the team to use on their sample projects.  I used "Wanda Penguin Hanging Bunting," a sweet little penguin.

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers and added highlights with gel pen.  The image was cut with a die from Dare 2B Artzy and framed with a scalloped die cut (Sizzix.)  The tiny snowmen and trees on the banner were done with mini punches and I added 3 tiny, sparkly red, Dew Drops.  The dp is from Recollections, and the green polka dot ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  The black bow is one of my hand-sewn, signature bows with a pearl.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

12 Months...Christmas

Dare 2B Artzy

Dragonfly Dreams

Kerst Christmas

Outlawz Festive Fri

     Don't forget that the challenges at PIP are always Anything Goes except on a 5th Monday when we have a specific theme.   I really want to see you playing along with us this week and every week.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Foxy Elsa

      Here we are in  April and I'm not fooling when I say it's time for the next challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies, where our theme is always "Anything Goes with a Critter."  We are sponsored this month by SheepSki Designs and they generously provided images for the DT to use.  I used a cute little fox called "Elsa."

     I've managed to get cards done for 3 of my DTs, which you'll see posted this upcoming week but it still takes me a day or two to get one card made.  Sitting up to do the coloring is the most time consuming and I find that my attention drifts and I tend to call it 'finished' before I add all the shading and highlighting I normally would do.  I think it's because I'm afraid I'll take too long and miss the deadline, and I just want to get on to the actual card making part of it.  So, be patient with me and my coloring will get back to my usual painstaking detail.  

Colored with watercolor pencils & ProMarkers

Cut w Sizzix die

Scraps of dp from my stash - 1 cut w Sizzix die

Grosgrain ribbon from my stash

Hand-tied bow

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Aud Sentiments

Colour Crazy

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Cute Card Thurs

Double Trouble

Dream Valley

Inspiration Station

Paperbabe

    Come play with us this month and don't forget to visit the 2 Crafty Critter Crazies blog to see what everyone else has done with SheepSki Designs images for this challenge.  Happy Crafting   NanaConnie

Merry Chris-Moose !

      It's time to start our December challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps and our theme (as always) is "Anything Goes."  My card today uses one of Jan's most recent sets, called "Merry Chris-Moose" and it's on sale for 20% off!  Both the image and the sentiment are part of the featured set.

     You really should check out Jan's store, even just the first page, because there are half a dozen or more sets on sale until Christmas and there's also a freebie!  Although I'm using this as a Christmas card, I chose a color combo which could be used for any winter card.  I tried to stay with a masculine theme so there is little embellishment other than the ribbon and the dp.

I chose a color combo of green, beige, & tan

from STAMPlorations as inspiration.

Image & sentiment printed on scrap CS

Colored w ProMarkers

Liquid Pearls used for shimmery snow

Cut with QuicKutz die

Edges inked w ProMarker

Sentiment cut with QuicKutz die

Dark green CS scrap is dry embossed w snowflakes EF

Tan dp is a scrap from the basket

Wide grosgrain bow made w ribbon scraps

     Challenges:

12 Months of Christmas

A Bit More Time...

Christmas w Cuties

Country View

Craft-Dee BowZ

Crafty Hazelnut's

Dies R Us

Kerst Christmas

Passion for ProMarkers

     Happy Crafting to all.  NanaConnie

Night Before Halloween

      I know I gave you a Christmas card yesterday as a break from all the Halloween cards but for the next 2 days at least, you have to go back to Halloween.  :-D  I have some of the cutest images to share, not the least of which is this fun group of bats hanging out on the Night before Halloween!  The image is from SheepSki Designs and it's new to my collection after the loss of all my digital images (no, the issue still hasn't been resolved. :-( )  

Colored with ProMarkers

Cut & framed with Memory Box dies.

Moon was fussy cut

Grosgrain ribbon from stash

Stitched ribbon for bow from Recollections

Sentiment printed & fussy cut

Card front embossed w Linen folder

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Di's Digi Designs

Dream Valley

Gem of a Challenge

I {heart} ProMarkers

Paper Shelter

Penny's Paper-Crafty

SheepSki Designs

Simon Says Stamp

     See you tomorrow with two, new, First of the Month, DT cards, both of which happen to be Halloween cards.  Wait 'til you see those cute images!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Keeping Baby Dragons Safe

     Did you know there are dragon-keepers whose only job is to keep all baby dragons safe until they reach the age of 1 year and have had lots of practice flying?  It's true!  Don't doubt me.  Am I not the one who told you about Pocket Dragons?  :-D

     However, I could really use some help on this image.  This is one of those I printed out long, long ago, tucked it into a folder, and never got it colored.  While coloring it yesterday, I realized that I hadn't put any notation on the back regarding the artist or company so I have no idea after all this time who drew it nor how to give proper credit to the artist.

     If you know who created this marvelous image, will you please leave me a comment and tell me?  I really want to do justice to the artist by giving them credit.  Thanks so much.

I chose colors from I {heart} ProMarkers.

Colored w/ ProMarkers
Open Studio Fairy Sugar on her wings
    (unfortunately it doesn't show up sparkly in the photo)
Corner die from Memory Box (also embosses)
Sponging w/ chalks
Grosgrain ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Hand tied satin bow
Sentiment printed and hand cut, inked edges

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Color
Passion for ProMarkers
Penny's Paper-Crafty
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown (ribbon/bows)

     Thanks for stopping by and if you do know who the artist is, please leave me a comment and let me know so that I can give them credit.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Jellyfish

     I'm having fun today.  I woke up with a smile, smelled the coffee already brewing, and immediately decided it was a good day to be alive!   I took coffee in hand, went to the computer, scrolled through my digi files, and found this humorous image from Bugaboo Stamps.  It tickled my funny bone so I printed it and headed right to the craft desk.

I used the sketch from Stella Says Sketch.

Colored with ProMarkers

Image cut with QuicKutz die

Scalloped circle cut w/ Sizzix die

Grosgrain ribbon

Mulberry flowers w/ Nuvo centers

     Challenges:

2 Sisters ... Blog

A Bit More Time...

Catch the Bug

Classic Design

Crafty Sentiments

Ike's World

Morgan's ArtWorld

TTCRD

Your Scrapbook Place

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

#1 Dad !

     Today starts our latest monthly challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps and, since it's June, what better time to make a Father's Day card?  I used the fantastic new set (released last month) "#1 Dad."  I took two of the images and merged them into one before printing.

Images pre-colored but I added gray ProMarkers to the trophy
Cut w/ QuicKutz dies
Grosgrain ribbon
Baker's Twine
CAS design for masculine card

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Outlawz Festive Fri

Outlawz Weds
Penny's Paper Crafty

Polkadoodles

Word Art Weds.

     We want to see you playing along with us this month.  Don't forget that our theme is always "Anything Goes" and you can use any products from any company.  If you happen to use a Jan's Digi Stamps image, your entry will go into a separate draw and your chances of winning are much better.  Come play!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bunnies and Roses

     We're all familiar with the old adage about stopping to smell the roses but in our current circumstances wouldn't it be great to go outside and smell a rose?  Bunny Dew, from Digi Doodle Studios, has decided to do just that!   Today I'm sharing my DT card for DDS.

Colors from Bastel-Traum

Colored w/ ProMarkers & chalks
Cut w/ Tutti Designs die
Paper from DCWV Basics pad
Wrapped grosgrain  ribbon - Really Reasonable Ribbon
Velvet ribbon for the bow - stash
Sentiment printed and cut - Tutti Designs die

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
CCC Digi Creations
Creations in Pink
Dies R Us
Prika Crafts
Scribbles Designs
Star Stampz
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Honoring Medical Heroes

     A salute today to all the medical heroes who have been working so hard for all of us these last 3 months, although they are there for any and all of us every day of the year really.  These three images came from Stamper's Delights progressive challenge this month.

     Instead of merging the images, this time I printed them separately because I wanted to die cut them for layers which would focus some attention on each of them individually.

I followed the color wheel at Color My Heart

choosing shades of red.

Colored with ProMarkers
Ambulance cut with Unbranded, cross stitch die
Sentiment and Hero cut with QuicKutz dies
Grosgrain ribbon from Crafty Ribbons
Card base is gray CS, embossed with Linen EF

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
Crafty Catz
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lil Patch of Crafty ...
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Passion for ProMarkers
TTCRD

     Have a fabulous weekend and if you are still isolating (either enforced or voluntary), why not craft up a storm?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Always More Marshmallows!

     It's time for a BINGO challenge at Catch the Bug and I used the first diagonal: snowflake/ Bugaboo Image/ ribbon.  Since it's hard to have snowflakes without cold, winter weather, and since snowflakes combine to make snowmen, this card is done using chilly colors of ice blue, light lavender, and aqua. 

     I love this Bugaboo snowman with his warm mug of cocoa and extra marshmallows.  Hot cocoa is wonderful when it's cold but cocoa with marshmallows is always better and the more marshmallows, the better.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Spellbinders die
Blue snowflakes cut with AI dies
Top 2 layers of dp cut with QuicKutz dies
Papers from Doodlebug
Wide grosgrain ribbon used for bow
Bow was white but 'dyed' with ProMarker
Sentiment from Bugaboo hand cut

     Challenges:
Coloring in Scrapland
Crafty Friends
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Hazelnut's
Creatalicious
Cuttlebug Mania
Dare 2B Artsy
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz PAM
Papercraft

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Party Hardy

     Day 6, the next to the last day of the week long 10th Birthday celebration at Catch the Bug.  Each day there's a new challenge with a different theme and today we have Colors.  The overall theme is "Down on the Farm" and Bugaboo Stamps has a whole bunch of fun, new, farm animal stamps.  This cute little Party Pig was a freebie (only on Tuesday) but it's still available in the store.  Tomorrow (Friday) there will be another freebie so be sure to check the blog then.

  

Here's the colors.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with QuicKutz dies
2 shades of green CS, embossed with 'Linen' folder for texture
Green, polka dot, grosgrain ribbon
(Back story - I bought that ribbon because it reminded me of a green, polka dot, Easter hat which I had as a child.  I loved that hat, mostly because it was the first hat I ever had, and I kept it in my closet for at least 5 years, refusing to give it up even when it clearly didn't fit any more. The memory makes me smile.)
Bow made from satin, polka dot, ribbon, 'dyed' with ProMarker
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
As You Like It
C.R.A.F.T.
Creative Fingers
Cute Card Thurs
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Paperbabe Stamps
Scrapper's Delights
Take It, Make It
Time Out

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"M" for Mistletoe - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     Day 15 at 30 Days of Christmas for Beccy's Place so we're half way through the alphabet and half way through the month.  My "M" items are pretty simple - Mistletoe and Merry Christmas, but I did use Markers for coloring.  Both the image and the sentiment are from Beccy's.

ProMarkers used to color the image
Image and sentiment cut with Unbranded dies
Glittered paper (Marine green) boxes cut with QuicKutz dies
Grosgrain ribbon bow
Merlot red card base

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Creative Fingers
Dragonfly Dreams
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paperbabe Stamps
Pattie's Creations
Stamping Sensations
Winter Wonderland

     Have yourself a wonderful weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fright Night

     Another silhouette card today and this one started as a silhouette.  I printed it onto golden CS to give the moon its glow.  I loved it because it had 2 of my favorite Halloween animals - cats and bats.

Distressed edges on the image
Hand curled corners
Grosgrain ribbon scrap
Sentiment sticker (edges colored w ProMarkers)
Spider in the tree is 3D

     Challenges:
2 Sisters on the Blog
A Bit More Time ...
Archi-Scraps
Bastel-Traum
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Creatalicious
Die Cut Divas
Fabrika Fantasy
Your Scrapbook Place

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Latte Gratitude

    It's time for another Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz and this month the freebie image has been provided by Imagine That !  It's a perfect image for a fall celebration and I'm going to use it for a Thanksgiving card.

I based this on the Outlawz sketch

turned sideways but still used as a vertical

due to the shape of the image.

Colored with ProMarkers and gel inks
Spellbinders die for the over-laid frame
Polka dot grosgrain ribbon
Satin ribbon for the bow
ProMarker used to 'dye' the bow

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Color Crazy
Crafty Catz
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Fingers
Double Trouble
Get Creative

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie