Day 25, Letter "V" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     For me, "V" is for Vintage, Very Merry, Vermilion (red), and Viridian Green, and it's day 25 at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas.  The candle image is from Beccy's.

This is based on the sketch at My Favorite Things 

and the colors at My Favorite Things.

 

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with QuicKutz dies
Lace added for vintage look
Beads and snowflakes as embellies
Kraft card base

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Double D (Vintage style)
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Festive Fri
Scrappy Land
Time Out
Word Art Weds

     We're only three days away from Thanksgiving here in the States and all the schools in my city are closed for the entire week.  My family are all focused on the Thanksgiving menu and harvest decorating.  On Friday, we'll change everything over to Christmas, putting away the autumn colors and setting up the tree, plus displaying the large collections of snowmen and nutcrackers.  What a great time for festive celebrations! 

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 13, Letter "K" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     We're close to the half way point in the 30 Days of Christmas cards for Beccy's Place and our letter prompt is "K."  I've used Beccy's three separate images of the Kings, put together as though they are one image.  While I make many more cutesy Christmas cards with Santas, elves, cute little animals, etc., I admit that traditional Christmas images are my favorites and that's mostly because they celebrate the true reason for the season (which has nothing to do with shopping ourselves into debt!)  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Tonic Studio die
Metallic gold 'lace' ribbon for a border
DCWV striped dp
CAS design

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Crafty Creations
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Knockouts
I {heart} ProMarkers
Ike's World
Paper Shelter
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Winter Deer for Christmas

     A different kind of deer than the one on my last post an hour ago but every bit as much fun for creating another Christmas card.  It's November 1 and a new challenge is starting at SheepSki Designs.  Our theme this month is "Christmas is Coming."  This silhouette image is one of Andrea's newer ones and I fell in love with it the instant I saw it!  It's called "Winter Deer" and I thought it was graceful and elegant.

Colored with ProMarkers
Christmas Star cut with Memory Box die
Glitter added to Star
White Lace
Sentiment cut with Spellbinders die & edges inked

     Challenges:
A Perfect Time to Craft
Carlin's Card Paradise
Classic DT Open
Crafts Galore Encore
Die Cut Divas
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pearly Sparkles

     OK, that's most of the posts for today but I still have one more late tonight and I know you don't want to miss that one but you might want to stop by tomorrow instead of staying up until it posts.  It really is a Saturday post anyway but I have to post tonight because of the time difference.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Yellow Rose of Texas

     I occasionally have to salute the great state of Texas since 3 of my grandchildren were born there and I have a couple of very dear blogging buddies who live there still.  These delightful roses from LeAnn's World 101 seemed a perfect image to accomplish the purpose.  I know we've all heard of The Yellow Rose of Texas and now you have that tune running through your head.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and Card shape cut with QuicKutz dies
Lace was a scrap
Computer font sentiment, hand cut.

     Challenges:
a2z Scrapbooking
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Catz
Dies R Us
Do Al(l) Creatives
Outlawz PAM
Southern Girls
Stamping Sensations
Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Dragon's Flower

     Today I'm featuring my favorite color combo - purple and anything!  Why?  Purple is my favorite color and I know it goes well with turquoise, green, pink, yellow, orange, and neutrals such as white and tan.  It's just so versatile.

I was inspired by the color inspiration at Paper Girls.

Image colored with ProMarkers
Die cut with Spellbinders die
Bleached CS cut with Spellbinders die
Lace
Stacked bows with gingham on top
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
As You Like It
Cutie Pie
Dream Valley
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp & Show
   (stacked bows & Spellbinders)
Southern Girls
Word Art Weds.

     That's all I have for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Violets

     Today I'm playing in the June challenge at Beccy's Place and they have a fun "Flip a Coin" theme.   Here's the chart and all you do is flip a coin to choose between the 2 options on each of the 4 rows.  I ended up with "Not a rectangle/ Kraft CS/ Digi/ & Recycled.  My lace is recycled from an old child's dress and that lovely image is from Beccy's Place.



     Here's my card:

     Here's a list of what I used:
ProMarkers
Stitched and inlaid dies from Memory Box
Alphabet letters die from Memory Box
Recycled lace
Sheer ribbon for hand-sewn bow
Dimensional Dots for mounting the fussy cut violets

     Challenges:
A Perfect Time
Aud Sentiments
Creatalicious
Creative Moments
Cute Card Thurs.
Scribbles Designs
Southern Girls
Sparkles Monthly
World Wide Open DT

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Summer Sunshine

     Another quickly typed post today, this time featuring a lovely image from Ching-Chou Kuik.  It's taken me nearly the entire month to complete this one due to the shoulder problems.

     Colored with ProMarkers, then fussy cut.  I cut two pieces of DCWV dp with a Spellbinders die, inlaid them and added the image.  Everything went onto a kraft card base and I added lace and the sentiment.  I tied two of my signature bows with pearls and added those to the image frame.

     Challenges:
Ching-Chou Kuik
Crafty Friends
Crafty Sentiments
Dare 2B Artsy
Digi Choosday
Get Creative
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lemon Shortbread
Paperminutes
TTCRD

     That's it for today but I may have another post tomorrow.  It's been a while since I was able to post two days in a row.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Yellow Easter Rose

     I absolutely love the vintage feel of this card and I know exactly who's going to get it for Easter.  I have one friend in particular who adores anything vintage and this will be perfect for her.  She also loves yellow roses so, of course, that was the color I chose for the main focal point.

     I printed the image in gray scale, then colored it with ProMarkers.  I printed the sentiment and cut both image and sentiment with Unbranded, oval, dies.  I found a strip of scrap lace, trimmed it to size, and added it to the left edge of the card front.

     I used one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, which I 'dyed' yellow to match the main rose, then added a tiny button.

      Challenges:
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Friends
Dare 2B Artsy
Dragonfly Dreams
Get Creative
Jo's Scrap Shack
Southern Girls
Take It, Make It
Unicorn
Word Art Weds.

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Winter Warm Up

     It's the First of March and our newest challenge at SheepSki Designs begins today.  We have a fun theme of  "Your Favorite Colors" and I stretched it a bit to show one of my favorite color combos - purple and blue.  The image is called "Winter Warmer" and you can find it by clicking on the name.  I thought she looked so gorgeous wrapped in that warm winter scarf.

     She's colored with a combination of ProMarkers and polychromos pencils, and I cut her with a stitched die from Memory Box.  I cut blue and purple dp with other stitched dies from that same set, picking up the blues and purples in the image.

     I made the card base from kraft CS because I loved the way the dp popped off it.  I found a piece of lovely, lace ribbon and laid it diagonally across the card base before applying the dp and the image.  I embellished the design with a 'butterfly' shaped bow with pearl for the body.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments (top L to bottom R)
Butterfly  (Burgundy + Bow - which is also the butterfly!)
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Creations
Creative Knockouts
House that Stamps Built
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Final Vintage Valentine Cards

Happy St. Valentine's Day !

     I want to share with you my last three vintage Valentines.  These were done at the last minute after I got a call yesterday from a friend who had seen the earlier ones I did and asked if there was still time for me to make two cards for her grand-daughters (ages 4 and 6) and one for her daughter.  

It took me about 3 hours to get these done and she's on her way over to pick them up.  :-D

     Here are the two for the grand-daughters.  She told me they both love kittens so...

 

     On both cards, the kittens were originally gray scale images so I used ProMarkers to add some color.  On the top one, I used white gel pen to add the sentiment to the hearts.  I fussy cut the kittens and added them to a red heart with Pop Dots, then layered that onto a white doily.  I used 'confetti' CS to make the card base, added two scraps of red dp (Paper House) and one of my signature, hand-sewn, bows with a pearl.

     Challenges for this card:

Crafting by Designs
Crafty Gals Corner
Double D
If You Give a Crafter...
Southern Girls

     For this second card, the kittens were already in a heart shape so I fussy cut that allowing for the pink bow and the rose to be "out-of-the-box."  I used dimensional tape to add the kitten/heart piece to the inside of a filigree heart stamp.  I cut that piece with a Gina Marie die and added the sentiment to the top and bottom.  I used chalks to 'sponge' the border.  The card base is embossed, burgundy CS and I added a scrap of dp from my stash plus 2 blue doilies.

     Challenges for this card:
Aud Sentiments
Creative Knockouts
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Pattie's Creations

     Finally, this is the card for her daughter.

     On this one, I highlighted the roses with white gel pen on one of the images and popped up the roses and the bow in her hair with Pop Dots for added dimension.  The lace behind the image is from my stash and the pink half-frame is a scrap of CS which was on the craft desk.  The bright pink bow was made with lace, wrapped with satin ribbon.  I added the tiny, epoxy, flower/heart and called it finished.

     Challenges for this card:
Aloha Friday
Crafty Addicts
Creative Inspirations

Mod Squad
Paper Fundays

     That's it for today.  Spread the love this Valentine's Day and don't forget to love yourself, too.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Kitten Love and Lady with Roses

     Today I have two more recycled, vintage Valentines to share.  Of course, the one with the kittens has to come first.  -D

     This time, I fussy cut the kittens and added them to a heart shaped doily with dimensional tape.  I found two scraps of red dp from a stack by Paper House, and used those to cover the front of a square card base.  The doily went on top of that and I added a red, epoxy flower with a heart in the middle.  The bow is one of my signature, hand-sewn bows with a pearl.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Cute N Crafty
Digi Choosday
Get Creative
Paper Shelter
Simon Says Stamp & Show
SUYP Cats
TTCRD
Unicorn 

     The second card has a fantastic image of a Victorian lady with roses.

                               

     I cut the image from the original card with a QuicKutz rectangle die.  The "frame" behind it was a negative left over from cutting out a frame with a die from Spellbinders.  I took that piece, cut it diagonally, and offset the pieces behind the image.  That piece was previously embossed but I don't remember which of my embossing folders was used.

     The deep, pink card front is dry embossed and I used a scrap of white lace threaded with a piece of pink, satin ribbon and layered those along the left side of the card front.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Creations
Cupcake Inspirations

Cuttlebug Mania
Dream Valley
Double Trouble (Flowers + Bouquet)
House that Stamps Built
Lemon Shortbread
Paper Girls
Outlawz SAR

     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

Bicycle Birthday

     Another birthday card for my stash, this one using a cute image from All Dressed Up.

I started with the sketch I found at Carlin's Card Paradise.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image, then die cut it with a die from Spellbinders.  I framed it with another die cut, also Spellbinders.  The dp came from the scrap basket and I layered everything onto a kraft card base.

     I printed, hand cut, and inked the sentiment.  The lace butterfly seemed perfect for this sweet card.  Because I am always interested in 'using up' instead of 'tossing out' things from my craft table, I took two of the tiny strips which dropped out of the frame and added them to opposite, diagonal, corners, then added three tiny pearls beside each of those strips.

     Challenges:
All Dressed Up FB
Butterfly (Apricot/Amethyst/Add Layers + Lace butterfly)
Crafty Creations
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Cute Card Thurs.
Penny's Paper Crafty
Scrapy Land
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     See you again tomorrow with a new DT card for QKR Stampede.  Be sure to visit.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Rosy Birthday

     I'm excited to announce that this fortnight I'm a Guest Designer at The Paper Girls.  The  newest challenge has a photo to show the color theme.  Notice that green wasn't selected as one of the colors to use despite all the green in the photo.  :-D  I used an image (Bella Rose) from Conie Fong and here's how I used the colors.

     I colored with ProMarkers and fussy cut the image with scissors.  The black oval was cut with a die from Spellbinders.  I mounted that onto a pink card base and added the image using dimensional dots so that the image is actually raised above the black oval.

    I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and matted it with a scrap of black.  The bowtie bow was made using white lace which I 'dyed' pink with a ProMarker.  I love it when CAS designs look more complex that they are.  :-D

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
Always Happy Birthday
A Perfect Time to Craft
Cardz TV
Classic DT Open
Creative Fingers
Digistamps4Joy
Morgan's ArtWorld
Outlawz Festive Friday

     I hope we're going to see you playing in the challenge at The Paper Girls some time in the next two weeks.  Those are such lovely colors - lots of neutrals with a gorgeous pink for balance.  How could you resist?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Peacock

     I'm sharing a card this morning which was the result of my daughter challenging me to CASE a photo she found on the internet.  It was this picture of a beautiful peacock.

     Now, what you need to know is that I love peacocks but coloring them is something that intimidates me.  I don't think she knows that or she probably wouldn't have challenged me to CASE that one.  But we can't disappoint our children, so...

     I searched my files for a peacock image but the only two I had were pre-colored and I felt that wouldn't fit what she wanted to see from me.  I haven't collected many peacock images just because coloring them intimidates me.  However, I did find an embroidery pattern which I scanned and reduced to make it feel a bit like a digi image.  I've never tried coloring embroidery patterns before although I've embroidered my share of them with embroidery floss.  :-D  Here's what it looks like after I scanned it.

     And here's what I did with it.

     I colored with ProMarkers, adding super fine glitter to the head and neck and using gold paint pen on the lattice work.   I also used gold paint on the edges of the image after die cutting it with a rectangle die from Tonic Studios.  I'm thinking that I might like to try coloring this one again but using my polychromos pencils.  I'm sure it will give a very different look to that magnificent bird.

     I knew I wanted to bring out the main colors in the peacock so I used another Tonic Studios rectangle die to cut scraps of turquoise and green CS.  I put those together on an angle, then layered on the image.  I chose a purple CS scrap to make the card front and added a scrap of lace to it before adding the image.

     I added the sentiment but did not embellish the card because I didn't want anything to distract from the peacock.

     Challenges:
Cards in Envy
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Friends
Creates and Makes
Hiding in My Craft Room
Incy Wincy
Jo's Scrap Shack
Pile It On
Send a Smile 4 Kids
Stamping Sensations

     I rather like my first attempt at coloring a peacock and I'm proud enough of it to share it on my blog.  I did send a photo of it to my daughter as soon as it was finished (rather than making her wait until she came over or we had coffee together) and she pronounced it "Beautiful!"  lol

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fairy Nightsong

     I have the honor of being a Guest Designer at The Outlawz Songs and Rhymes challenge today.   Each week, they choose lyrics from a song or poem as inspiration for a crafty project.  This week, it's "Fairy Nightsongs."  Fairy NightSongs

Dancing a spiral we sing unaware
On fairy night wings our songs fill the air
Making a circle of magic and light
Watched silently by the Fey of the night

     Here's my card with an image from Anne Fenton and she's the sponsor for the entire month of August.

I started with a sketch from Die Cuttin' Divas, turned to stand vertical.

     I used ProMarkers to color her, added copper glitter to her wings, then fussy cut the image.  I adhered her to a double oval die cut (Spellbinders.)  I found a scrap of lace in my stash, cut it in two, and added the strips to the card front.  I layered on the image and added one of my hand-sewn bows to the bottom of the ovals.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Brown Sugar
CARDZ TV
Crafty Friends
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Fingers
Incy Wincy
Jo's Scrap Shack
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Hedgehog Taxi

     I love this adorable image from Di's Digi Designs which makes me think of a taxi ride for a hedgie.  This little girl pulling her garden cart is so sweet.

I did something new for me - a Double Z Fold card.

Here's a side view photo to show how the two pieces are put together.

     I colored with ProMarkers and watercolor pencils, then cut the image with a Gina Marie die.  I layered the image onto the top portion of the pink CS, and scored it twice to make the Z fold.  I took the white confetti CS (5 3/4" x 11"), scored it twice, and folded it into a larger Z fold.  The largest part (below the middle fold) is 5 3/4" x 5 3/4", making it a square card when all is folded together.  It will fit perfectly into a 6" x 6" envelope.

     I put the two Z fold pieces together, using double sided tape first at the top of the card, then folded them up together to determine where the bottom of the pink CS should be.  Once I had that, I removed the covering strip from the double sided tape on the bottom of the pink CS and pressed them together.

     I tied a bow tie bow from a bit of leftover lace, wrapping the center with satin ribbon and I added that to the bottom of the pink CS.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and added it to the bottom of the inside Z fold.

     It took me a little experimenting to figure out how to do the Double Z fold but I quite like it and will undoubtedly do more of them.

    (Edited to add:  As I was adding the challenge links to this, one of my grandkids told me I could have searched PINterest or YouTube for instructions on Z fold cards but I didn't think of that when I was making it.  I checked and both of those are filled with instructions.  lol  Check them out if you think you might be interested in doing one of these.  :-D )

     Challenges:
Allsorts
CARDZ TV
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Catz
Fussy and Fancy
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Friday
Polkadoodles

     That's it for me.  I'm really enjoying my time away and hope you are enjoying the pre-scheduled posts.  I'll have another one on Friday for my DT project at QKR Stampede.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Make Your Own Shade

     This is my second post of the day and, in my first post, I promised you wonderful news if you stopped by again.  So here it is:  I've rejoined the DT at SheepSki Designs!!   And, yes, I'm excited to say Andrea took pity on me and said "Yes" when I begged to return.  :-D  Thanks, Andrea.

     Our challenges are always "Anything Goes" but we also offer an optional theme with each challenge, which you can use or not, your choice.  I followed the theme this month "For Someone Special."  I'm sending this to a friend who needs some emotional support and encouragement, and that in itself makes her very special.

     I used this beautiful image, "Becca."  How fun that I have a granddaughter who goes by Becca.  :-D

     My first card today was very CAS so with this card, I went to the other extreme.

     The image was colored with ProMarkers, the cut with a die from Spellbinders.  The darker pink frame was also cut with another die from that same set.  The lighter pink CS was embossed and pinpoint punched around the frame.

     I added lace to the bottom of the light pink CS, then I added the image piece.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment, matting it with a scrap of the same light pink CS.

     I covered the card front with embossed, metallic paper and then added the framed and matted image on top of that.   Looking for embellishment on this already 'fancy' design, I dug through my box of flower and leaf dies, found a flower die from Spellbinders and a leaf die from Cheery Lynn.  I used those cut the flowers and leaves.  I added pink glitter to the top layer of flower petals and put a tiny dot of yellow Nuvo Crystal Drops in the center of each flower.

     I apologize for the photo quality but the metallic paper, which is so gorgeous IRL, made it very hard to photograph so this is the best I could do, even with photo editing.

     Challenges:
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Catz
Creative Inspirations
Fussy and Fancy
Crafty Gals Corner
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz PAM
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp

     Come play along this month, won't you?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

New Summer Hat

Back in  the day, ladies wore hats - highly decorated and decorative hats.  Going out without a hat was very bad taste and just not done.  I love hats and I do wish that wearing them was still in style.  Nothing starts off the summer fun more than getting a new summer hat.  :-D

     This adorable image is from Di's Digi Stamps and I knew the minute I saw it that it called for blues and purples.  I colored with watercolor paints then cut the image with a die from Sizzix.  I inked the scalloped edges and started thinking about how I'd do the background.

     Lying on my craft desk was a scrap of white lace but white just didn't make the image pop.  I grabbed my Dylusions Ink Spray (Grape) and used it to dye the lace.  The lace was marvelous when put onto white CS and really made the image the focus. 

     I found a scrap of dp in the basket, trimmed it to size, and placed it diagonally across the lace, then I added the image circle.   I sewed together one of my signature bows with a dark pearl and added it for embellishment.  The sentiment was printed, hand cut, and inked on the edges to match the image piece. 

     Challenges:
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Friends
Crafty Sentiments
Cuttlebug Mania
Digi Choosday
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lemon Shortbread
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
TTCRD

     That's it for today.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

On Top of the World !

     On Top of the World is how I feel this morning!  It's my first official day as a member of the DT at Crafting with an Attitude.  We have a new challenge which begins on the first Thursday of each month and runs throughout the month.  Our challenges are always "Anything Goes."

     This month, we are sponsored by Di's Digi Designs.  The image I used is from my own collection and is called "King of the Castle."  However, when I searched the store I found only a different version of this stamp.  It has a butterfly instead of the little birds.  Still, it's really adorable so well worth checking out.

I was influenced by the colors in the Incy Wincy challenge.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image and cut it with one of my border dies from Spellbinders.  I cut three scraps of CS with the same border die and layered them all together for some texture and dimension.  I did my best to match those to colors in the image.

     I made a "bow tie" bow from scraps of lace (dyed pink with a ProMarker) and satin ribbon for the wrap, then printed and hand cut the sentiment.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Creations
Creative Moments
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lemon Shortbread
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp & Show
SUYP Cats

     I hope you'll come and play along in our challenge.  Remember, it's Anything Goes so you can literally do anything for your entry.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie