Fall Roses

      Last month, I won a challenge over at LeighSBDesigns and the prize was a coupon to their store and a chance to be a Guest Designer, using an image purchased with that coupon.   Today's card was made for my daughter's birthday which is in late October and I'm using the beautiful LeighSBDesigns image called Fall Roses.  My daughter loves yellow roses and the image just called for some autumn colors to enhance them.

     I used water color paints to color the image, let it dry over night, then cut it with a QuicKutz square die.  The brown CS frame was embossed using my 'Linen' EF.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a Tonic Studios die.  I added two hand-tied bows, one made from yellow gingham ribbon and the other from brown satin ribbon.  I layered them together with fabric glue.  Everything was put onto a 5.5" x 5.5" card base made from heavy duty white CS.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Can You Handle ...?

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Jan's Digi Stamps

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Tuesday (orange/yellow/green)

Pammie's IP

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

     Check out Leigh's Etsy shop.  You might fall in love with some of her lovely (or even the more quirky) images.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sweetheart Bella Twins

      Today, I'm sharing another of my DT cards for Conie Fong, on which I've used two images from the Sweetheart Bella set.  There are 3 different image options in the set; one has Bella holding a heart that says 'love,' another with a blank heart, and the third with a heart that says 'hugs.'  I know you're going to think I used the Hugs and Love heart images, but actually, I used Love and the blank heart.

     I knew before I printed the images that I wanted to reverse one of them so that I could position them a bit apart but they would seemingly be facing different directions.  I wanted them to look more like twins than duplicates.  However, if I reversed either the Love or the Hugs image, then the word would print out backwards!   So, I reversed the blank heart image, then wrote in the word "hugs" myself.  I think I did a pretty good job of matching the handwriting on the word "love."  :-D

     I used ProMarkers to color the images, then cut them both with a single die from Cuts.  I mounted the image piece onto mirrored, red CS and trimmed the ends to fit.  That was mounted onto a pink card base and I sewed one of my tiny butterfly bows which I placed just above the image.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I left it rather CAS, with lots of open space.

     Challenges:

Butterfly  (Tickle me pink, Tan)

Colour Crazy

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspirations

Let's Craft & Create

Mod Squad

Paperbabe

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     If you haven't joined the Conie Fong FB page yet, you really should do it now.  There are 2 challenges there every month.  All you have to do is use a Conie Fong image and you can enter either the "Coloring Only" challenge or the one for finished projects, like cards or paper crafts.  You can win fabulously cute images.  Come play!  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Holy Cow !

      I was invited to be a Guest Designer at The Outlawz Tuesday Color challenge this fortnight and I happily said "Yes."  The sponsor is Hetty Clare and this adorable image is called "The Sun Hat."  I thought it was a fabulous image and I can tell you that it was fun to color!   

     I think I managed to get all the colors in the cue card for the challenge and, of course, used the twist of "Ribbon."  

     Doesn't she look like she's standing in a field of spring grass with a breeze blowing through all that hair?  :-D  I colored with my ProMarkers, then cut the image with a Dare 2B Artzy die.  I cut the purple CS background with the same die, and inlaid the image into it after taping the strip of satin ribbon across the spot where the image would be.  

     The sentiment, cut with an Avery Elle die, was added on top of the image and I put the image into the background.  I laid that entire piece onto pink CS, wrapped the ends of the ribbon to the back side, and adhered that to the card front.  I used more of that satin ribbon to make the bow.

     Challenges:

Cutie Pie

Dream Valley

House...Stamps Built

Lemon Shortbread

Paperminutes

Passion for ProMarkers

Penny's Paper-Crafty

TTCRD

Word Art Weds

     I hope to see you playing along in this challenge.  Not a member of  The Outlawz?  Consider joining; it's free, takes almost no time, and they have challenges for each day of the week plus one for using old stash items, and even a progressive challenge where you can get new images from a different artist once each month.  When you've joined, you can sign up to follow as many or as few of the different challenges as you like.  :-D

  

    Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Summer Rays

     Our latest monthly challenge has started over at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies and I have to announce that it is also the last challenge after nearly 5 years.  I really hate to see it close, but unless someone steps forward and is willing to take it over, when this challenge finishes on September 25th, it will be the last one.

     Our theme has always been "Anything Goes with a Featured Critter" but that could be changed if someone else wants to take over.  We've had sponsors each month and that, too, could be changed.

     One of our first sponsors was QKR Stampede and they are our last sponsor as well.  They have the most adorable images, many of them available in both digi and rubber stamps.  I chose one called "Basking" and I just love the idea of a rooster soaking up the last rays of summer even if it means a bit of sunburn.  :-D

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut with a pinpoint die from Dare 2B Artzy.  The green dp square was cut with a QuicKutz die, and then I cut the center of it with the same Dare 2B Artzy die and inlaid the image cut into that piece.

     The sunshine dp was also a scrap from the basket.  It had been in there so long, I was pretty sure it would never get used but it was too big to throw away.  This seemed the perfect card for it.  :-D  I tied a bow tie bow from satin ribbon; printed the sentiment and cut it with an Impression Obsession die.  It's CAS enough to work as a masculine card.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creative Moments

Dare 2B Artzy

Die Cut Divas

Dies R Us

Dragonfly Dreams

Outlawz Greetings

     I hope you'll come and play with us in what may be our last challenge.  Or maybe you'll be the one to decide to take it over and keep it going.  Many on the team are more than willing to stay and all will be most helpful.  If you have any interest, please email 2 Crafty Critter Crazies.  Here's the address:  2craftycrittercrazies@gmail.com

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cat, Skull, & Pumpkin

      This first card for September (I have a total of 4 posts today!) is doing double duty for both Paper Funday and for Jan's Digi Stamps.  Although Jan's Digi Stamps is still on a break from their own challenges, they are sponsoring Paper Funday this month.  They will start their monthly challenges again in November.

     For Paper Funday, our September theme is "Autumn/Fall" and I chose to do a Halloween card which features autumn colors.  I merged images from three of Jan's sets; the black cat (reversed) is from a new set called "Pumpkin People," the skull is from "Hocus Pocus," and the pumpkin is from "Autumn Corn Sheaves."  All of them are secondary images to the main image in each set.  The sentiment is from the new Pumpkin People set.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then used my Fiskars paper cutter to cut the image square.  I inked the edges with a marker, added polka dot washi tape diagonally across two corners, and tied a double-loop bow from satin ribbon.  The card front was embossed with my "Linen" EF.  

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy 

Crafty Sentiments

Double D

Passion for Markers

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Polkadoodles

SUYP Cats

     Come play in our 'Autumn/Fall' challenge at Paper Funday this month and check out what some of the Jan's DT have done in the interim before the challenges begin again in November.  Jan's Digi Stamps.

      Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

New Life

      The first Monday in May and time for another new challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps.  This will be our last challenge until the first Monday in September.  We're taking the summer off (or winter, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere.)  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and you can use any stamp/digi from any company to enter our challenges.  However, it's worth remembering that if you do use a JDS image, your entry goes into a separate drawing only for those entries using JDS digi stamps and therefore, your chances of winning are increased by a huge amount!

    My card today features an image from  the set called "Early Spring Nest" and I'm using it for a baby shower card for a new little girl expected early this summer.  The sentiment is mine.

Colors from My Favorite Things

Image is pre-colored

Cut w Spellbinders die

Satin ribbon 

Hand tied bow w sequin

     Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps

Allsorts

Angie's Digitals

Dare 2B Artzy

Do Al(l) Creatives

Mod Squad

Scrapping4Fun

Taylormade ...

Three Room Studio

     Come play with us this month.  It's your last chance for another 3 months.  After that, we'll see you on September 6!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"S" for Shepherds Abiding

      I've done as many cards as possible for the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and I'm pre-scheduling my posts through the end of the month.  Today's card uses Beccy's Shepherd with a Sheep and I merged 1 additional Sheep, plus I've used Sage green and Sandstone in the CS colors.  The image is pre-colored and cut with Scalloped frame dies.

Image and frame cut w Tonic Studios dies

Burgundy and Sandstone CS layers

Stitched ribbon from scrap basket

Hand-tied bow using satin ribbon

     Challenges:

Artsy Stamper

Christmas w the Cuties

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Dream Valley

Outlawz PAM

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

List or No List?

     Here's what happens to Santa's Nice List when the world wide pandemic takes over.  He has to choose the Top 3 and let everyone else go by the wayside.  :-D   This is my card for Day 6 of the CIJ daily challenges at Catch the Bug and this is one of the older images from the "A Kid's View" (AKV) collection.  There's an inspiration photo so be sure to check out the Catch the Bug blog for today.

Colored with ProMarkers & pencils
Image & green CS cut w/ Tonic Studios dies
Red, satin bow
Sentiment printed & hand cut
CAS design

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Dream Valley
Kerst/ Christmas
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Girls
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie