Is It Your "Tequila" Birthday?

      For those of you who don't yet know about "tequila" birthdays, this card should give you all the explanation you need to figure it out.  Personally, I passed the 'Tequila Birthday' several years ago and now I don't even think about how many of them I've had.  Each year that rolls by becomes a badge of honor for living that many years.  lol  I have anther birthday celebration rolling around next month and I'll be proud of it, too - no tequila needed!   :-D

Colored w gel pens & distress markers

Cut w Memory Box dies

SU dp for background

Metallic ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon

Sheer ribbon bow tied w bow maker

     Challenges:

A Bit More Time...

Clever Dexter

Crafts Galore Encore

Crafty Hazelnut's

Dies R Us

Digi Doodle Studios

Imagine That

Outside the Box

Your Scrapbook Place

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Baby Dragon Adventures

     Baby dragons are the most curious creatures ever and each new thing they encounter is a complete adventure in itself !   Purple leaves are amazing and watching them drift on a breeze is reason for giggles or even outright laughter.  :-D

     This sweet image is from Whimsy Stamps and the card will eventually find it's way into my eldest granddaughter's mailbox because she adores dragons (as do I!)

My color inspiration came from the challenge at The Outlawz

where they want to see lavender/purple monochromatics.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with dies from Little B
All three ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Metal brads
Signature bow w pearl

     Challenges:
Colour Crazy
Cute Card Thurs
Die Cut Divas
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lemon Shortbread
SheepSki Designs
Time Out
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Classy Lady

     I didn't have a card to post yesterday and I won't have another one until Tuesday because this month has been so busy for me!  I'll be away from my computer for several days at the end of the month, too, but I hope you'll bear with me.  I have two or three days of double posts this coming week so that should make up for it, right?

     I managed to get this card made early this morning, using the August Progressive Challenge image from the ArtbyMiRan FB page.  Isn't she darling?  I used her for a Thank You card because my stash of those is getting low.

     I colored her with my ProMarkers, then die cut her with a die from Spellbinders.  I mounted that onto another die cut (same set) and layered that onto a piece of silver glittered paper which had been die cut and embossed.  Everything went onto a black card base.  Obviously, I loved using my favorite purples and I adore how they worked so well with the silver!  What a great combo.  :-D

     I added the three tiny butterflies in the upper corner and the sheer ribbon bow with the purple pearl at the bottom.  Very complex looking but really rather simple and fast to make.

     Challenges:

ArtbyMiRan

Brown Sugar

Color Crazy Craft

Crafting by Designs

Crafty Addicts

Crafty Sentiments
Creative Corner
Creative Fingers
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
Paper Shelter
Penny's Paper-Crafty

     I'll be sharing five new releases from MHK Designs this week, starting on Tuesday.  Come by and check them out.  They're gorgeous!   Then on Thursday, in the evening *(my time), I'll have a post with some wonderful news to share.  Friday is another new challenge at QKR Stampede and I'll have my DT card for that one.  Finally, next Sunday, August 21, the new challenge will begin at MHK Designs but for now you still have time to enter the current one before it closes on Aug. 20.  Hope to see you there.

Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie  

Sleepy Kitten

     Today I want to tell you about the second artist I found this week who's not new, just new to me.  I fell in love and did a second shopping spree so now I get to share this card with you.  The company is Aurora Wings and the image is called "Sweet Dreams."  OK, so you probably knew I'd use a kitten first.  :-D

I took the sketch from Digi Sketch, turned sideways.

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers (in my favorite purples, of course), die cut it, and colored the scallops to look like a frame.  The embossing folder is one from SU, I think.  The sentiment is mine, computer printed and hand cut, with inked edges.  I added glitter to the flower centers and the butterfly on the kitten's head.  The bow and the pearls came from my stash.

     Challenges:
Creative Crafts -- New (digi and kitten)
Fan-tastic Tuesday -- Feminine
Flourishes Timeless Tuesday -- In with the new (new digi, new kitten)
Outlawz Greetings -- New Arrivals (new digi and new kitten)
Papertake Weekly -- Add a bow and use a die cut
Passion for Pro-Markers -- Ribbon, lace, or twine (ribbon bow)
Through the Purple Haze -- Favorite colors (purple)
Top Tip Tuesday -- Use a sketch

     You really need to go check out all the different digis at Aurora Wings.  She does adorable animals but she also has a large variety of other images, many of which I bought.  Sigh...who could resist?  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Eclectic Is Finally Here!

     I know you've all seen the Eclectic Ellapu DT badge on my sidebar and probably wondered why you hadn't seen me posting cards for their challenges.  After all, that's what we do when we serve on a design team, right?  Well, today begins the first challenge and I have the honor of serving on the Pink Team which is posting this week.  We have two teams, Pink and Purple (yes, I know, I know, a purple freak on the Pink Team!) and we will have weekly challenges, with each team serving every other week.

     Our new challenge blog is all about FUN, FUN, FUN.  We are purely a badge awarding challenge blog rather than being sponsored.  That means the DT members, and anyone wanting to join in our weekly challenges, have the autonomy to create whatever they wish just as long as it fits the theme for that week.  What freedom! Our challenge this week is "Anything Goes" and that means you have no restrictions on what you create.

     This being the birth of a new challenge, I've done a birthday card and I did it in purples!  lol

Sketch by My Time Made Easy, leaving off the vertical strip, which just took away from that wonderful background dp.   Apologies to MTME.  :-D

     Everything on or about this card came from a drawer, pile, or stash with forgotten or hoarded items.  Can you believe I used a rubber stamp and not a digi? Yep.  I've had this "Cherry Blossom" stamp by Rubber Stampede for at least three years and have never used it.  I colored it with Copics, and added Stickles to the flower centers.  The Stickles bottle was in my drawer of glitters, and had been used only once before.

     The purple paper was in the dp stash and I can't even tell you how long it had been there, unused, but it was in my 12 X 12 scrapbooking papers so that means at least 3 years!  The neutral dp onto which I stamped the cherry branch is an old scrap piece left over from another project long ago (from SU.)

     The round rhinestones I've had since I got them at an estate sale and I've always thought they would be just too big to use on a card.  Now that I used them, I think they're perfect.  The bow is one I made from ribbon scraps and put in my stash several months ago, probably last spring.  Finally, the butterfly gem -- I had several of those in different colors but I keep hoarding the purple ones!   What's the point in having them if they are never going to see daylight?  The sentiment is also a rubber stamp, this one from Sparkle n Sprinkle.

     Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T. -- Monochromatic
Craftymess -- Anything goes
Delicious Doodles -- Monochrome
Divas by Design -- Anything goes
Hiding in My Craftroom -- Super Scraps Saturday
My Heart Pieces -- Monochromatic
Outlaws Paper A La Mode -- Use what you don't (hoarded or forgotten items)
Paper Crafting Journey -- Add some bling
Whimsy Inspirations -- All things sparkly

     Now, we really want to see you play along with us at the Eclectic challenge this week.  You are completely unfettered as to what you can create and enter since our Anything Goes theme leaves it wide open.  Hope to see you there.  Happy Stamping. NanaConnie  

A Vintage Moment

     I've been into doing CAS cards for a couple of weeks now and I've almost forgotten what it feels like to add on an entire bouquet's worth of flowers to a card!  But the challenge at Digi Haven this week is "Days Gone By" and they'd like us to do something Vintage so I scoured around and found this gorgeous digital freebie over at Graphics Fairy (click here for the freebie).  Remember that one of the things you must do for the Digi Haven challenge is to find and use a freebie which will be available throughout the week of the challenge.  This one is permanently available.  Oh, yes, -- they are also having a DT call and I am soooo tempted to apply because I just love the whole idea of using freebies found on the web to enter the challenges.  We'll see.  It isn't like I'm not already serving on enough design teams.  :-D  OK, here's the card:

Sketch from Digital Tuesday.

     The image was already colored so I fussy cut it and layered it onto the pea soup dp, then layered that onto a lacy square doily, die cut from pale lavender dp.  Don't ask me who made either of the dps -- they were just scraps left on my table which needed to be used.

     All the flowers are roses from Prima and the leaves have been punched from a sheet of sparkly foam.  Sounds weird, I know, but it looks really great IRL, and not bad in the photo, either.  Finally, instead of pearls or gemstones which would have worked well with vintage, I thought the purple ribbon with the little gold stripe was the perfect thing so I tied a tiny bow for the doily corner.  No sentiment because I haven't decided how this card will be used.

     Challenges:
A&T Emerald Faeries -- Punches/dies
Can You Digi It? -- Purple, please
Cheery Lynn -- Use doilies
Eureka Stamps -- Anything goes
LEJ Designs -- Vintage
Lollipop Crafts -- Anything goes
Shopping Our Stash -- Use any sketch, old or current
The Cutie Pie -- Borders and frames

     So, half your weekend is gone.  I hope you've been using it for fun and enjoyable activities.  No point in stressing on your days off.  :-D  Thanks for the visit, and I'll have another post tomorrow, then start the week with DT cards and new challenges for you.  Hugs and Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Losing His Head?

     Today's post is going to be short and sweet so I can take my cold back to bed.  :-D  More holiday silliness but then, you've come to expect that from my blog, right?  Image was a freebie from Limited Runs (I've just recently discovered them!) and I used the sketch from Operation Write Home last week.  Colors are from For Your Inspiration.

     I'm going to submit it to the following challenges:

Craft Garden - recipe choices: snowflakes, kraft, ribbon, purple, turquoise (in the snow)

Crafty Cardmakers - heat embossing - Sparkle EP on the snowman

Creative Craft Challenges - Free for All

Crop Stop - punches (on the corners of the image)

Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Lots of sparkle

Jen's Digi Stamps - Merry & Bright with no red or green

Karen's Doodles - non-traditional Christmas colors

Outlawz - Anything Goes (but requires a sentiment)

Shopping Our Stash - Use Digi image (all the papers were in my stash)

Stamps R Us - embossing

     That's it.  Thanks for visiting, but don't catch my germs.  :-D  NanaConnie