Thanksgiving Birthdays

     I have a friend and also a granddaughter whose birthdays tend to bracket Thanksgiving; one on the 21st of November and one on the 28th of November.  Every few years one of them has their birthday coincide with Thanksgiving and this year it was my friend.

     My DT card for QKR Stampede was done for her and I hope she loves it as much as I did when I was making it.  Our new Anything Goes challenge starts today and I'd love it if you'd come and play with us this week.  The image is called "Birthday Bear" and it's available in either rubber or as a digi.

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and frame cut with Bo Bunny dies
Embossed card base
Signature bow, dyed with ProMarkers, pearl added

     Challenges:
Cuttlebug Mania
Digi Choosday
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp
 TTCRD 

     Happy crafting.  NanaConnie

Magical Birthday

     Welcome to another Friday, that magical day when the weekend begins (or at least hopes of it begin.)  Fridays are also the day we start our newest challenge at QKR Stampede.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and while the DT gals use QKR or Eureka (our sister company) images, you may use any image you choose to enter the challenge.  If you do choose a QKR (or Eureka) image, you increase your chances of winning by a considerable amount because those projects are put into a separate draw.

     For my card today, I'm using "Mouse Magician" from QKR and it comes as either a digital image or a rubber stamp.  This is a birthday card for a 10 year old who has recently been introduced to the Harry Potter books - yes, the books, not the movies, though I'm sure those will follow immediately!  But right now, he loves old fashioned books with pages and covers.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers

Cut with Lawn Fawn Stitched die

Sparkly satin ribbon

Signature bow w/ pearl

Sentiment - computer font

     Challenges:

Crafting by Designs

Cute Card Thurs

Ellibelle's Crafty Weds (Blue, Bow, Birthday)

House that Stamps Built (Blue, Bow, Birthday)

If You Give a Crafter Cookie

I {heart} ProMarkers

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

Scrappy Land

Tales from the Craft Room

Work It Weds

     Come play with us this week.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Butterfly Kitten

     You mean you didn't know that fairies have kittens?  They do.  Look at this image from Paper Shelter and you'll see they have butterfly kittens!  :-D  What a delightful fantasy concept.

Colors inspired by House that Stamps Built.

Colored with ProMarkers
Glitter on the wings
Image & frame cut with Cottage Cutz pinpoint die
Border cuts with Spellbinders die
Paper from the scrap basket
Hand sewn bows w/ pearls

     Challenges:
Butterfly  (Kobe hair)
Cut It Up
Double D
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Polkadoodles
Scrappy Land
Southern Girls

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Meant to Be

     A really quick post this morning with only short prattling about how the card was made.  When I saw this sentiment/image at Bugaboo Stamps, I grabbed it right away but this is the first chance I've had to use it.  It's a sentiment I truly believe.  :-D

I based this on the sketch at The Outlawz.

     I used ProMarkers to color the flowers, then cut the image piece with a rectangle die from QuicKutz, inking the edges before adding it to the striped background dp (Echo Park.)  I used a scrap of mulberry paper which has been on the desk for at least a month and grabbed the gingham ribbons, one to wrap and one to make into a bow.  I thought the 3 pearls on each side of the image piece would set that off a bit.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug (third column)
Crafting by Designs
Creative Knockouts (Pearls/Image/Ribbon)
Double D
Scrappy Land
Words 2 Craft By

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Freesias

     We are starting the October challenge at Crafting with an Attitude where our theme is always "Anything Goes."  This month, we're sponsored by SheepSki Designs (and I'm honored to be part of that DT also!)  I chose to use this beautiful "Freesia Vase" image.

I decided to use colors from the Tic Tac Toe challenge

at Color My Heart's Color Dare.

I chose the bottom row.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then fussy cut the image.  The background pink and white 'mat' is cut with dies from Spellbinders and they are inset into each other.  I mounted the image onto dimensional tape and added it to the mat.

     All of that went onto peacock CS which was trimmed to fit the card base. The only embellishment I added were the two sets of three tiny pearls on the two diagonal corners.  I wanted it as simple as possible to showcase that gorgeous flower image.

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft
Country View 
Crafting with Friends
Dream Valley
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Friday
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies

     We hope to see you playing along in our challenge this month.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bloomin' Boots

     This is my last GDT card for Colour Crazy but I've been invited to join the team next fall.  :-D  The theme is always "Anything Goes" and we do require hand coloring on your projects.  My card today uses an image from Conie Fong called "Bootiful Bouquet."

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel inks, then cut the image with an Unbranded die from Cheapo Dies.   I framed the die cut with pearls and added one of my signature, hand-sewn bows.

     I printed the sentiment, cut it by hand, and added it below the boots.  I really love that image!  This is the first time I've used it but definitely not the last.

     Challenges:
Conie Fong Designs
Crafting by Designs
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Gals Corner
Dream Valley
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp
Take It, Make It
Word Art Weds.

     I have 2 posts today so be sure to stop by and take a look at my DT card for QKR Stampede, too.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Boot Full of Flowers

     I'm so excited about today's card.  I made it because I was invited to be a Guest Designer at Pixie's Crafty Workshop, better known as "The Playground."  Each challenge runs for two weeks and we're already one week into the current challenge so this card serves as the half-way reminder.  Themes are always Anything Goes but there is a requirement that you use 'snippets' - you know, those bits and pieces of scrap that we feel so good about using up instead of tossing them into the trash.

     The image is from Bugaboo Stamps, printed onto a scrap of white CS, and colored with ProMarkers and polychromos pencils.   I used a Sue Wilson die to cut it.

     The striped dp is from Stampin' Up and it, too, was a scrap.  I trimmed it into a rectangle, then used a Memory Box die to cut the scallops.  The die is actually a circle but because the paper was a scrap, that's the shape which resulted from cutting a narrow rectangle with a circle die.  I rather like it!  :-D

     The yellow dp on the upper part of the card is another scrap and I trimmed it to fit the width of the card.  I cut the double butterfly with another die, this one from Presscut, and the paper was double sided so I got two layers for the butterfly even though the paper was nothing more than a very tiny scrap.  I layered them together and added three tiny pearls which were left over from another project.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug
Crafting from the Heart
Creative Fingers
DL.ART
Dream Valley
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Festive Friday
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Path of Positivity

     Check out The Playground this weekend and then come play along.  Dig out some of those left over snippets and join us.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Vintage Chilling

     I'm sharing another card with an image from Ching-Chou Kuik where I was lucky enough to win in two different challenges, one sponsored by them and the other as part of their FB blog hop.  I'm going to be coloring their glorious images for several days now.  :-D   Here's the first card I've done with one of my new images and I'll have another one later next week.

     I knew as soon as I saw this image that I wanted to do something fancy and vintage looking.  But it still needed to be flat enough for easy mailing.  I colored with ProMarkers, white gel ink, and a sparkle gel pen.  I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders.

     I used another Spellbinders die to cut the blue star dp, then used it to frame the image piece.  I found the lace in my stash.  It's one of those "have to have" purchases which get put away and forgotten so this is the first time I've ever used it.   Another "new" thing for my card. 

     The background paper is also new, purchased last week from the open stock papers at my favorite scrapbooking store.  I cut a 5.5" x 5.5" piece and put that onto the card front.  Then I added the lace and the double framed image.  I printed the sentiment and die cut it before adding it to the bottom of the image.

     I found a tiny scrap of thin, white, braided twine, tied it into a bow, and layered it onto the sentiment piece.  Finally, I used 3 sets of three pearls each (also a new purchase); one set on each side and one set at the top of the image.

     Challenges:
Ching-Chou Kuik
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
Frilly and Funky
Paper Shelter
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Sisterhood of Crafters
Sugar Pea Designs

     Happy Crafting and thanks for visiting.  NanaConnie

Not a Creature Was Stirring...

     This is my second post of the day and it looks like I'm on a Christmas tour through all my stamps and images (inspired somewhat by my playing at Beccy's Place all this month - see previous post.)  I found this sweet little Christmas Mouse from Rick St. Dennis.  OK, so maybe he isn't specifically a Christmas mouse, but he turned into one for this card.  I thought he looked like something out of the Victorian era "Night Before Christmas" by Clement Moore, so I had to dress him in Christmas red.  :-D

I started with the sketch from The Outlawz this week

although I turned it on end.

     I started by coloring the image with my ProMarkers, then trimmed it to the size I needed for the red frame which had been cut with an Unbranded die.  I printed the sentiment, fussy cut it and layered it on top of the image piece.  For the borders, I did a modified version of what's in the sketch, using only one line of pearls down each side.  I added two of my hand sewn bows which also have pearls on them.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Colour Crazy
Crafting with Friends
Merry Monday
Polkadoodles
Simon Says Stamp
Sparkle and Glitter
Take It, Make It

     If you missed my previous post referred to above, click here.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Parcel Post

     Today I have the honor of being a Guest Designer for the Twisted Thursday Challenge over at  the Outlawz.  The theme there is always "Anything Goes" but there is usually a twist you can use if you want to enter twice instead of only once.  This week the twist is also "Anything Goes."

     This image (which I used twice in different sizes) is from Rubber City and I colored the two of them with different coloring tools.  The larger mage is colored with my polychromos pencils and the smaller one is colored with my ProMarkers.  I wanted to see how closely I could match the colors between pencil and marker.

     I also used my favorite "summer" color combo - golden yellow and green.  Why this combo?  Because of the warmth of the yellow which says "summer" but offset by the cooler green so that it doesn't say hot, hot, hot the way reds do.  For winter combos, I tend toward purple and turquoise.

     I die cut  a frame for the large image with one of my inside/outside stitched dies from Die-namics, and the smaller image is fussy cut, then matted and fussy cut again.  For embellishment I added the two strips of seed pearls and the half pearls on the lily stamen (or are those the pistols?  I think I missed that question on the test in biology class, too!)

     This card reminds me of my mother, a school teacher for 37 years, who loved lilies and who always said that she preferred vacations that travelled by parcel post instead of overnight mail.  Once I started teaching myself, I understood exactly what she meant.  :-D

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
C.R.A.F.T.
Sasayaki Glitter
Southern Girls

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Real Puppy Love

     This sweet image is by Ching-Chou Kuik and I just fell in love with that darling Papillion!  I know, I know, I'm supposed to be a crazy cat lady but the truth is I'm an animal lover who just happens to live with two cats.  But don't tell them!  :-D

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and chalks (her hair), then cut with a my newest die from Sue Wilson.  I backed it with brown CS, also cut with a die from that same set.  The blue butterfly was also cut with a Sue Wilson die.  The sentiment is mine and the string of pearls came from my stash.

     Challenges:
Brown Sugar
Butterfly
Ching-chou Kuik
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Catz
Creative Corner
Delicious Doodles
Digistamps4Joy
Dream Valley
Whoopsi Daisy

     I hope you're having a wonderful weekend and that the weather isn't too severe for you.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

New Challenge at MHK Designs

     The April/May challenge starts today at MHK Designs and we have this lovely inspiration photo.  Feel free to use the colors, the photo, or whatever inspires you.  Remember, you are not required to use an MHK Designs image on your card but if you do, then it's an "Anything Goes" challenge instead of an inspiration photo challenge.  :-D



     As you can see, I chose to go with the Anything Goes since I'm using both an image and a sentiment from the MHK Designs Fruit Borders set.  Still, I did manage to use a botanical image and a couple of the colors in the inspiration photo.

     The image is colored with Copics this time, then die cut along one side with a Spellbinders Scalloped Borders Petite die.  I cut two more border pieces from yellow and green CS and layered all the borders together for a 3-in-a-row look.

     I also border cut the sentiment and layered it on top.  I gathered up a few of the 'dots' which fell out of the holes along the borders and glued them to the sentiment piece, then added the strings of pearls for embellishment.  At that point, it seemed finished so I resisted the urge to smother it with flowers or bows or glittery additions.

     Challenges:
Classic DT Open
Colouring in Scrapland (flower/pearls/die)
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Deep Ocean
Pearly Sparkles
Petal Lu
Sisters of Craft
Sparkles Forum
Through the Craft Room Door

     I hope you are going to come and play in the challenge this month.  We really do get a lot of inspiration from the wonderful creations we see entered there.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Using Lace with Tuesday Throwdown

     Today we start a new challenge at Tuesday Throwdown and our theme is to "Use Lace."  Our wonderful sponsor is The Ribbon Resource and they were so generous in providing lace to our DT members for use on our inspiration cards.  They will be providing the prize for this challenge as well.

     Isn't that pink lace gorgeous?   The image is by Anne Fenton and I've had it in my collection for a while.  It seemed time to use it.  Since I'm getting my stash of birthday cards and Mother's Day cards stocked up, I decided on a color combo of kraft, pink and white.

    I colored with ProMarkers, stamped the sentiment, then matted the image with dark pink CS.  Because I wanted the lace to really pop, I layered it across white CS because it showed better than against the kraft CS, and then I added the two rows of pearls.  The butterfly is die cut from burlap paper and I added two pearls for the body.  Even with those embellishments, the card design is still very CAS, showcasing the image and the lace.

     Challenges:
2 Creative Chicks
A Bit More Time to Craft
Card and Scrap
Connie Can Crop
Creative Card Crew
Just Keep on Creating
Lemon Shortbread
Paper Creator's Crafts
Petal Lu
Sisters of Craft
Sparkles Forum
Through the Craft Room Door
Unicorn Challenge
Your Scrapbook Place

     I hope you're going to dig out some lace from your stash and come play in our challenge this week.  We'd love to see how you're inspired to add lace to your projects.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Victorian Christmas Card

     The Pink Team is posting this week for the Eclectic Ellapu Challenge and our theme was chosen by this week's marvelous Hostess, Berni.  She wants to see creations done in Pink and Cream.  Since she didn't limit it by saying "and no other colors", I had to have a bit of Christmas green.

     That incredible heart-shaped image is a freebie I found over at Graphics Fairy.  I printed it, then fussy cut it with scissors, and added the lace and pearls.  Quick note:  I bought two little containers of those beaded pearl strings simply because they were on sale, with no idea how I might use them.  I'm sure you've never done any impulse purchases like that, right?  Uh huh.  But now that I've used them here with lace, I see all kinds of possibilities.  I used liquid glue and they seem to be pretty permanently affixed.

     Since the sentiment in the image says, "With Best Christmas Wishes,"  I chose holly leaf paper in cream, pink, and green, and a complementing deep pink CS (which I distressed slightly by sanding it) for the background.  I added the corner holly leaves and berries, and felt it just didn't need more embellishment than that.  I didn't want to take away from the heart and the lace.

     I think this is deliciously vintage, though others may feel it doesn't have enough embellishment for true vintage.  I'm very pleased and satisfied, however, and I know just who will receive this card for Christmas.  :-D  Nope, don't ask -- I'm not telling!  She might read this blog post.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas -- V is for Vibrant colors
Bearly Mine -- Anything goes
Creative Craft -- Special occasion NOT a birthday
Digi Haven Monthly -- Anything goes
Ooh La La -- C is...Christmas
Papertake Weekly -- Anything goes
Shopping Our Stash -- Had to buy it, it was on sale!
Stamp & Create -- Lace
Sweet Stamps -- Christmas
Whoopsi Daisy -- Christmas cards

     Less than 2 weeks until Thanksgiving (for those of us in the US), and I wish I could tell you I was totally ready.  NOT!  But, most of my cards are done and ready to mail.  In fact, those which are destined for Japan went in the mail yesterday.   The rest of them will be mailed this week for delivery to their various locations around the States.

     Enjoy your weekend and Happy Stamping.  (Edited:  Thank goodness this one was scheduled before I got so sick!)  NanaConnie