Slay the Day !

     Today I'm sharing a birthday card instead of a Christmas card but tomorrow, I'll be back to Christmas.  My oldest granddaughter is absolutely mad about dragons and this cutie image from The Paper Shelter just seemed perfect for her birthday card.  I'm not the least worried about her seeing it ahead of time for two reasons; first, she rarely visits my blog and second, her birthday isn't until February so even if she sees it now, she won't remember what's on the card until she opens the envelope.  lol

I was inspired by the sketch at Tuesday Morning but turned it on end.

Image cut with Memory Box stitched die
Sentiment cut with Memory Box stitched die
Ribbon from scrap basket
Bow, hand tied and 'dyed' pale blue with ProMarker
Aqua card base

     Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
TTCRD
Tues Throwdown

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 7, Letter "F"- 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place

     I have another easel card today, even though we are doing the letter "F" at Beccy's Place, not "E."  This time it's a plain easel, not a twisted easel.  However, I think an easel counts as a Fancy Fold and that's a good start to my list of "F"s.  I  have also Featured a Feathered Family, two of whom are Fixed (or are they Frozen?) on the Frosted ground and one of whom Flew up into the tree. I used a Festive theme, and added Feliz Navidad as the sentiment.

Pre-colored image but I used ProMarkers on the scarf and shoes
Hand tied, polka dot bow
Snowflake stickers inside with gems
CAS design

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
TTCRD
Tues Throwdown

     I will have another post today for another DT project at Crafting with an Attitude.  Be sure to stop by again in a few hours because I don't want you to miss it and in the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Unicorn in Autumn

     We all know about unicorns, though some will tell you they are only a mythical creature.  I am of a different persuasion.  I believe unicorns are like pocket dragons - just because you don't see them doesn't mean they are only a fantasy.

     I've been told by a lovely garden fairy that unicorns change the colors of their manes and tales seasonally, like the leaves of a tree.  Hmmm, that would give them an advantage when it comes to hiding in plain sight, wouldn't it?  Let me give you an example of what might happen.

     Fabrika Fantasy has one of the most magnificent unicorn images which I chose for this card.  Notice how his mane, tail, and hooves blend in perfectly with the fall foliage, and his body takes on the pale shadows of the low-light dawn?

I used the sketch from Cheerful Sketches.

Colored with ProMarkers and gel inks plus sparkle on the horn
Die cut with Spellbinders and distressed on the edges
Polka dot washi tape
Doily colored dark brown
Hand made bow with polka dots
Kraft card base

     Challenges:
a2z Scrapbooking
Crafter's Cafe
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Creative Moments
Friendship
Morgan's ArtWorld
Scrappy Land

     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

Worm in an Apple

     Mr. & Mrs. Worm have found a new home in a left over, picnic apple!  I know, I know, it's usually ants who show up at our picnics, but this couple was in serious need of a home and a meal so an apple, deliberately left behind by some kindly person after the last picnic of the summer, seemed a perfect choice.

     (Sorry, I had to take a break right there.  Queenie, the new kitten, decided it was nap time and that somehow required that I hold her in the crook of my elbow while she 'nursed' on my hand.  Of course, I couldn't put her down until she woke up.  Sigh....)

     The image on this card is for the latest Progressive Challenge at Limited Runs.  Actually, it's two images which I combined for the card.

ProMarkers
Fiskars corner punch
Polka dot ribbon for hand tied bow (scrap)
Scraps for the dp and the white frame
Linen embossing folder on the card front

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Coloring in Scrapland
Colour Crazy
Crafter's Castle
Dream Valley
Outlawz PAM
Path of Positivity
Pixie's Snippets
Words to Craft By

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Evening Stroll

     I'm wishing and waiting for fall weather to set in so that I can get back to taking evening strolls through my lovely neighborhood.  That's something I have to give up during the hot summer months and I miss them.  As a salute to them, I've done this card using a wonderful image from Digi Doodle Studios.

ProMarkers
DCWV papers (Basics stack)
Sue Wilson die
Ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon

     Challenges:
Bastel-Traum
Crafty Hazelnut's
Creations in Pink
Dare 2B Artsy
Dies R Us
Double Trouble (recipe only)
Scrap from Your Heart
World Wide Open DT
Your Scrapbook Place

     Hope your weekend is going well.  I may have a second post today if I get it finished.  Otherwise, I'll post it tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Mouse Catcher

     I've been a Sparkle N Sprinkle customer since before I started blogging or got seriously into card making and I still love playing in their challenges.  If you have even glanced at my sidebar, you know I'm a nut for cats.  So, when I found this image in the SnS shop, I had to grab it up right away.

     I colored the cat with ProMarkers, adding a bit of white gel ink to the chest and paws.  I die cut it with a plain but large, square die from QuicKutz.  I inked the edges with a 'coffee' ink pad.

     I made my card base with kraft CS, then added scraps of dp which came from Echo Park and Now & Then.  I happen to love a combo of polka dots and stripes.  The image piece went on top of that and my final touch was to add one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, this time with a sparkly gem instead of the usual pearl.  I think this is simple enough to make a great masculine card.

     Challenges:
Coloring in Scrapland
Creative Inspirations
Get Creative
I {heart} ProMarkers
Incy Wincy
Papercraft
SUYP Cats
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown

     The weekend is flying by and I still have 3 cards to finish for posts due next week!  Yikes, I'd better get on the ball.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

No Place like "Gnome"

     Happy Friday to all of you and welcome to my usual Friday QKR Stampede post. It's our latest challenge and our theme is always Anything Goes.  I'm a huge fan of all the QKR stamps but I do love the gnomes especially.  This one is called "Sitting Gnome" - inadvertently misspelled as 'knome.'

     I colored him with ProMarkers and watercolor pencils, then cut him with a stitched die from CUTplorations.  I matted him with a scrap of bleached, green CS.  I did the bleaching on that myself, using a Q-tip and 'dotting' spots, then letting it dry.  I got on a huge kick of that a few years back and did probably 50 sheets of CS in different colors.  Some of those sheets I still have in my stash.  Because it's so time consuming to make, I keep every little scrap and try to use it up.

     I cut the sentiment with the same CUTplorations die, but I adjusted the placement of the die and cut it twice to get the size I wanted.  The polka dot ribbon was in my stash and I used a separate scrap to tie the bow.

     I added everything to a golden yellow background, putting the image and sentiment on Pop Dots for some dimension.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
Cupcake Inspirations
  
Digi Choosday
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Festive Friday
Passion for ProMarkers

     That's it for today and I hope you'll have a fabulous weekend!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Celebration

     Before I tell you about today's post, let me give you a quick update.  I've spent the majority of the last 4 days, sometimes long into the night time hours so the sleeping pattern has been badly disrupted, working on all the things I have to complete around the house.  I've been packing boxes and it's amazing what one runs across during that process.  I've been trimming down, throwing out, reorganizing -- all those things one does during this process.

     But yesterday, I awoke at 1:30 a.m.  Since I was clearly wide awake, I gave myself permission to take a break and indulge in some crafting.  I made a batch of cards for the week-long, daily challenge themes at Catch the Bug where they are celebrating their 9th Anniversary.  That means they are just starting their 10th year and I want to help them celebrate that wonderful new beginning!

     They have a different theme for each day and we all have until Saturday evening to get our projects entered.  So, I spent 7 hours making 6 cards, including coloring each of the Bugaboo Stamps images, and I'll make one more with Friday's Freebie Image once it's been released.

     I'm sharing the first 3 of those cards here in this post and will do the others late on Friday or perhaps Saturday morning

Saturday Theme: Monster Birthday Party

I started with the sketch from Sketch Saturday.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then used two dies from Tonic Studios to cut the image and the aqua frame.  I layered those two together, sandwiching the green, polka dot, ribbon between them, then mounted them onto sky blue CS.

     I printed and hand cut the sentiment, matted it with aqua CS, hand cut that, and added it to the bottom.

     Challenges for this card:
Cardz TV
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Catz
Crafty Friends
Outlawz Festive Friday
Polkadoodles


Sunday Theme: Sketch

                                         

      Again, I used ProMarkers to color the image (which is a new one for me) but I cut this one with a die from Gina Marie.  I used a square, kraft CS card base, then added the two narrow rectangles of glittered paper.  I wrapped that with stitched ribbon from Crafty Ribbons before adding the image piece.

     I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and then added the three rows of three metal brads to the top corner.

     Challenges for this card:
Colour Crazy
Crafty Creations
Creative Knockouts
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.


Monday Theme:  Anything But a Card

     For this one, I did a party favor box with a personalized tag.  I used one of my box dies from Spellbinders to cut glitter CS and fold it into the tall, box shape.

     The name of each guest is on the back of the tag.  I colored the tag image with watercolor pencils and gel pens.  I cut it with a stitched die from Cottage Cutz.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment sand added twine to the corners of both the tag and the sentiment and taped the twine loops inside the favor box.  I filled the boxes with chocolate candy.

     Challenges for this project:
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Paper Fundays
Scrappy Land

     Happy Crafting, my friends.  NanaConnie

Blame It on the Cat Nap !

     For the newest weekly challenge starting today at QKR Stampede, I made a card I needed for a belated birthday and used the funniest image - "Black Leaning Cat - ES1407" which is from our sister shop, Eureka Stamps.

     The sentiment is my own but is also my excuse for missing the actual birthday and having to send a belated card.  :-D

     Since this card is for a guy, I kept it pretty CAS.  The image is fussy cut (by hand) and the sentiment was printed and cut by hand, then matted and hand cut again. 

     I found the polka dot ribbon with the rainbow dots in my stash and used a scrap of red, polka dot, satin, ribbon to hand tie the little bow.  I added three metal beads to the top and the bottom and called it finished. 

     Inside it says, "I must have napped right through your birthday!"

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time to Craft Extra
Classic DT Open
Craft-Dee BowZ
Creatalicious
Get Creative
Not Just Cards
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Girls
Simon Says Stamp & Show
SUYP Cats

     I hope you're going to come and play along in our "Always Anything Goes" challenge at QKR Stampede this week.  Remember, there's no requirement to use QKR or even Eureka on your projects but if you do, those entries are put into a separate draw and that increases your chances of winning by a huge amount!  See you there.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie