December Challenge at Brown Sugar

     Good morning and happy Friday morning.  We're starting a new monthly challenge today over at Brown Sugar.  Our sponsor this month is The Paper Shelter and they supplied us with an image set called "Holy Night."  Paper Shelter is having a sale this month and the image we all used is included in the sale.

     Interestingly enough, I used this very same image for a DT card last month but with a different team.  You can see what I did for them by clicking this LINK.  Rather than duplicate something I had just done, I decided to use the beautiful background that came with the set and build a scene on top of it with die cut deer and Liquid Pearls.

Background paper from The Paper Shelter (Holy Night digi set)
Cottage Cutz dies for deer - colored w/ metallic ProMarkers
Sentiment cut with Die-versions dies
Liquid Pearls for deer hoof prints in the snow
Snowflake cut with Art Impressions die
Blue rhinestone added to snowflake center

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Dare 2B Artsy
Dream Valley
Incy Wincy
Outlawz SAR
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp & Show
Sparkles Christmas
Tales from the Craft Room
Your Scrapbook Place

     I hope we're going to see you playing along with us this month.  This is my last month on the Brown Sugar DT but I'll be visiting many of you before the month ends.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Ice Skating

     Having grown up in an area where snow never falls and ice doesn't form on the ponds, any ice skating was done in a rink and the next town over actually had an ice rink.  I was probably 10 or 11 years old when I discovered a pair of ice skates in one of my Grammy's old trunks and had to try them on, just for curiosity sake.  They were a great fit, though a bit tight around the heel.  She had very narrow feet! 

     I clumped around in them for a couple of weeks and finally asked my mother if she would drive me over to the ice rink.  Forget that I'd never done anything other than roller skate and had no idea how to ice skate, nor that it was a 45 minute drive over to the next town - I was determined to go!

     She was a loving mother and saw how much I wanted to try my hand (my feet?  my rear end?) at ice skating so as my Christmas present that year, she managed to scrape up the funds for 3 ice skating lessons and faithfully drove me to the rink three different times for the lessons.  What I learned is that ice skating isn't roller skating, that ice is harder than it looks, and that the Olympic ice skaters who look so magnificent probably did nothing other than practice, practice, practice all day long!

      Fortunately for my backside, I quickly outgrew the skates as my feet increased in shoe size and Grammy's tiny skates had to be left behind.  However, this darling image (progressive challenge freebie) from Scrapper's Delights brought back all those wonderful memories.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Aleene's Sparkle Snow added w/ palette knife (Adding snow this way gives such great texture!)
Cut with Memory Box die
Edges inked with ProMarker
Papers w/ spots and wavy stripes are scraps
Signature, hand-sewn bow w/ gem
Signature hand cut and edges inked

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Catz
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs
Scrapper's Delights Progressive

      Have a great weekend.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sledding by ..

     A second post from me today so that I can share with you a card I made for a Christmas card exchange organized by Digi Doodle Studios.  We were assigned exchange partners (either within our country or international) and we had to use a Digi Doodle Studios image, which was no problem for me because I love every one I've ever seen.  :-D   I used Penguins Lottie and Tillie and I think they are so cute on their little sled.

Colored with ProMarkers
Fussy cut with scissors
Background by Paper Shelter
Sentiment hand cut
Image and sentiment mounted on Pop Dots
Glittered snowflakes and gem added

     Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs
Digi Choosday
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds
Lemon Shortbread
TTCRD

     Have a great day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Warm Winter Wishes

     It's time for the November monthly challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies and this month, we're sponsored by Paper Shelter.  They generously supplied a set of images which includes black and white outline or pre-colored images, plus sentiments and backgrounds.  The set chosen is called "Holy Night" and what I like best is that it could be used for Christmas or any winter theme.

     Here's my own hand-colored version of the main image.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Unbranded die
Background paper from Doodlebug (my favorite papers for winter/Christmas cards have snowflakes.  I like them because we never get snow where I live and that's my way of having a "white Christmas." )
Dark blue dp from DCWV
Snowflakes with glitter and gems

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
C.R.A.F.T.
Cute Card Thurs
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Southern Girls
Time Out

     I have a total of 5 posts today!  That's what happens when the first of the month falls on a Friday, the day I do my usual DT post for QKR Stampede and Brown Sugar (first Friday.)  On the 1st, I also have my DT posts for 2 Crafty Critter Crazies (you're reading it now) and SheepSki Designs.   This month, very late tonight, I have a post as a Guest Designer for Mo's Digital Pencil.

     I hope we're going to see you playing along with us this month.  Remember, all you need to enter 2 Crafty Critter Crazies is a "Critter" featured on your project.  Other than that, it's always Anything Goes.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Coldest Day of Winter

     We start a new challenge over at Crafting with an Attitude and our theme is always "Anything Goes."  Our wonderful sponsor this month is Lacy Sunshine (Colour of Love) and I'm using a darling image called Rory's Winter Day.

My colors came from My Favorite Things.

     I decided to do a card using the 'spotlight' technique so I printed the image twice, cut one with a rectangle die from Spellbinders, and colored the second one with my ProMarkers, adding just a touch of sparkle with some glitter on the snowflakes.

     Once colored, I used a circle die (QuicKutz) to cut just the portion of the image where I wanted to focus attention.  I inked the edges of both cut pieces, then layered the colored circle on top of the black and white image to create the 'spotlight.'

     I found an icy-blue card base, wrapped it with sparkly, silver and white ribbon, then added the image.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and added it to the lower section of the card front.  I think this is a delightful CAS design with just enough sparkle to celebrate the cold chill of early January!

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Cardz TV
Cute N Crafty
Cutie Pie
Double Trouble
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Whoopsi Daisy

     That's it for today but I'll have another post tomorrow and then I'll be back to my post holiday activities.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Snow Buddies

     The challenge theme at SheepSki Designs this month is "New or Old" and since I'm still on my Holiday break, I'm sharing with you a card with an image more than 2 years old.  The image is called "Penguin Pals" and I think it's absolutely adorable!  Two penguins building their own snow man penguin.

     I colored with ProMarkers and die cut both the image and the frame with dies from Cheery Lynn.  I mounted those onto a a deep green card base.  I added a single, hand-tied, red bow and the sentiment, then left it CAS.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Cardz TV
Crafty Hazelnut's
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs.
Outlawz Twisted Thurs 
Penny's Paper-Crafty

     Have yourself a wonderful New Year's Day and I'm sending wishes for a happy and prosperous year.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Holly Snowman

     This delightful "Christmas Snowman q-24346" image from QKR Stampede is perfect for this time of year.  Our latest challenge starts today and our theme is always Anything Goes.

     I want to share with you a little story about QKR and my early experiences with them.  I think I fell in love with QKR digi images almost before I even knew what digi images were.  Up to that time, I was completely into rubber stamps and even scoffed at digital images.  In fact, my earliest QKR images were rubber stamps (a thing you can still get!)  But as I was introduced to them and learned what could be done with them in sizing, reversing, flipping upside down, and the ease of storing them (hundreds and hundreds on one small flash drive!), it didn't take me long to go almost completely digital!  I admit it - I prefer digis to rubber and that's been true for a number of years now.  Thank you, QKR Stampede for being one of the major factors in my conversion (and for taking me onto the DT coming up on 5 years ago!)  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image with one of my earliest dies from Spellbinders.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment before mounting everything onto sea foam green CS.  I wrapped it with sparkly, white and gold, wired ribbon and added one of my signature bows, hand-sewn with a pearl and dyed with a ProMarker.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
C.R.A.F.T.
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs.
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Take it, Make It

     Like many others, I'm still not back into the routine after the Thanksgiving Day festivities but I have a couple of posts pre-scheduled so I can be as lazy as I like.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

E for Easel Card at Beccy's Place

     It's time for the next alphabet prompt at Beccy's Place in the 30 Days of Holiday cards and today is the letter "E".  I decided it would be a perfect time to make an Easel card and to also do some Embossing.

     I love this particular snowman from Beccy's Place and I think I've used him on a Christmas card each year since I first got him.

     I colored with ProMarkers and chalks, then cut the image with a fancy oval die from Spellbinders.  The sentiment piece is also from Beccy's and I cut it with the smallest die from that same Spellbinders set.  I decided that by folding up the top part of the sentiment, I could use it as the Easel stop.

     I used one of my snow swirl Embossing folders to emboss both the front and back flaps of the card.  I turned down one corner of the top flap, making this card a twisted Easel, added the image piece, and left it plain with no ribbon, no bows, no flowers - I wanted the Embossing to showcase the image and the image to be the focal point.

     Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Cute Card Thurs.
Digi Choosday
Double Trouble (w/ TSOT and his plaid tie is 'hanging')
Outlawz Festive Fri.
TTCRD
Try Stampin' on Tues. (green-trees-plaid)
Unicorn
Word Art Weds.

     OK, I've been up as long as I can handle so I'm going to go drink something warm and then cuddle with my fur babies 'til I feel better.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cutting Out Snowflakes

     Many of you know that I live out in California where we have very little snow except in the Sierra Nevada range, those high mountains that run like a backbone up the length of California, into Oregon and Washington, and even on into western Canada.  That's how I love snow - up in the mountains where one can choose to visit for a day or even a weekend of playing in it, and then return to the valley where it's dry and warm and skid-free.  :-D

     I adore Penny Black stamps, especially the cats and the hedgehogs, and this one always makes me think of California winters since, if we want snowflakes, we pretty much have to cut them from paper.

I based this on the sketch at Sketch Saturday

turned sideways and 

kept even cleaner and more simple

by leaving out one layer.

     I stamped the image, colored it with my ProMarkers, and cut it with a Bo Bunny die.  The teal-blue frame was cut with another die which is part of that same set.  I added glitter to the snowflake and set it aside to dry. 

     I found two scraps of teal gingham dp, trimmed them and added them diagonally across the card front.   I layered on the image and the frame, then printed the sentiment, hand cut and matted it, and added it above the image. 

    I used no embellishments because I want this card to be very CAS.  I'm sending it to one of my grandsons who lives in snow country, relishing the fact that he has to shovel snow and I don't!  lol

     Challenges:
Addicted to CAS
Incy Wincy
Jo's Scrap Shack
Kreativeinkauf
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Not Just Cards
Penny Black Saturdays
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.

     Enjoy your weather, whatever it may be on this lovely February day, and if you have no snow, count your blessings and cut out a snowflake or two.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Feed the Snowmouse

     Today I have the honor of being a Guest Designer for the next two Sundays at the CAS challenge at The Outlawz.  Today we have a theme of "Anything Snow Related." I chose this darling House Mouse image as the focus of my card.

     It's a pretty simple design because this is the Clean and Simple challenge, calling for lots of open white space.

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, adding a touch of white gel ink for highlights.  I cut the image with a Gina Marie "Chain Link" die.  I mounted that piece onto an embossed card front (used my "Linen" folder) and then started looking through my ribbon stash.  I found two different sheer blue ribbons and used one to wrap the card front and the other to tie a quadruple loop bow.  That was it - done!

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Addicted to Stamps
Angie's Digital Stamps
Crafty Sentiments
Cutie Pie
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Stamping Sensations
TTCRD
Unicorn

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Let It Snow !

     I can say "Let it snow!" all I want because I live where it doesn't snow and I don't have to shovel it to get out of my driveway or down my steps to the sidewalk.  lol  But this card is for Day 6 of the Holiday Chaos at Catch the Bug challenge.  I think I've used this Bugaboo Stamps image every Christmas since I got it a few years back.

We have to use this inspiration for our theme.

     I started by coloring with my ProMarkers, then cut it into a square.  I cut a narrow frame for it by using two dies (inside and outside) from Sue Wilson.  I also cut out the shaped piece with another die from that same set and used it tucked under the side of the image, as a mat for the hand tied bow.

     This was extremely difficult to photograph because I used shiny silver-white CS for the card base and it had a glare regardless of the angle at which I shot it.  But I love the look of it IRL !

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Cute Card Thurs.
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Scrappy Land
Star Stampz
Time Out (prints, patterns & snowflakes)

      Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"X" Marks the Spot !

     We're closing in on the end of the Month of Holiday Cards at Beccy's Place and I've managed to play each day - a fact of which I'm really proud!  Beccy is using the letters of the alphabet as the daily challenge themes and today is the letter "X."  Yeah, go ahead - figure out an "X" you can use to make a Christmas card.  lol

     My daughter came up with "X" Marks the Spot and I looked through my collection of Beccy's images until I found this darling house with a Christmas tree.  I did have to add the snow but more about that in the "how I did it" description.  I just knew Santa wouldn't be able to land his sleigh on that tiny roof so I added a sign and an "X" to the front yard to tell him where to land.  :-D

     I started with a pre-colored image, added some shading with my ProMarkers, then used a white gel pen to add all the snow to the roof, the tree, the windows and door sill, and the ground.  With all respect to Beccy (who's in Australia), I added the snow for all of my friends up here in the Northern Hemisphere who celebrate Christmas in the winter.  :-D

     I printed the sentiment, then made the sign to go around it.   I printed the X when I printed the image.  I used a narrow rectangle die from QuicKutz to cut the image and added ink to the edges.  The paper came from a very old paper stack by DCWV and the silver, snowflake ribbon was new this season.  I added the sparkly snowflake embellies and called it finished.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Beccy's Place
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
House that Stamps Built
I {heart} ProMarkers
Passion for ProMarkers
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Kristmas Karaoke

     OK, silly title for the post but it's the day for "K" in the 30 days of Holidays over at Beccy's Place and when I saw these three snowmen in her shop, singing from their hearts, they looked just like a Karaoke group and that was perfect for a "K" !  Yes, I took some liberties with the spelling of Kristmas but I needed to stick with the "K"s.  :-D

I based my card on the sketch at Die Cuttin' Divas.

     Image is Kolored with ProMarkers, trimmed into a square, and Korner punched (Fiskars.)  The background was made by die Kutting gray-blue CS (Memory Box die.)  Once the piece was Kut, I had a "frame" with a more-or-less 'oval' opening but the opening wasn't large enough to let the image show through.  So, I Kut the frame into 2 pieces, patched it with a strip of that same CS, and added it to the card front.

     I used a glitter gel pen to Kolor some of the open spaces in the frame making them look like sparkly snowflakes.  I also used it to cast shadows on the snow beneath the snowmen.  Then I added the red ribbon and layered on the image.  I used one of my hand sewn bows which had been white but I dyed it with a marker.  (Don't you just hate the way I turned all those hard "C"s into "K"s?  lol)

     Challenges:
Beccy's Place
Crafty Hazelnut's Extra
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Ike's World
Lemon Shortbread
Passion for ProMarkers
TTCRD
Unicorn

     Enjoy your weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Another Mystery Snowman

     Today I have another Christmas card with a delightful snowman on it but it's one of those a friend stamped and mailed to me without telling me who made the stamp.  If anyone recognizes it and can tell me, I'd love to edit this post and give full credit to the artist.  :-D

     I colored the snowman and little bird with my ProMarkers, trying something a bit different this time in that I wanted the sun to be shining from behind and slightly to the left of the snowman. For some reason, I tend to put my light source to the direct left or right (or off center to the front left or right) on most of the things I color.

     The reason I had to do it differently this time is because I dropped my gray ProMarker as I was coloring his top hat and it put a small gray smudge midway between his arm and his scarf.  While it was small, it was large enough to see and there was no way to cover it with an embellishment.  So, I added a shadow from his arm and worked on the rest of the image to add shading as if the sunlight was behind him and to his left.  Did it work?  I'm not really certain because all I can see is the mistake.  :-D

     I found a scrap of red and white, polka dot, CS, wrapped it with very narrow white ribbon, and then made the bow with the help of my Zutter Bow It All.  The card base was pre-printed and the little penguin with the North Pole sign is on the card front, not stamped by me.   I die cut and matted my image, then went back and added some snowflakes to the background using a glitter gel pen.  Because I wanted the little penguin to show, I adjusted the placement of my image over to the very edge of the card so the penguin not be covered.

     The sentiment is from QKR Stampede.

     Challenges:
Colour Crazy
Crafting by Designs
Crafting with Friends
Inspiration Destination
Mod Squad
Outlawz Festive Friday

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Warm Hearted Snowman

     This is my second post of the day but I'm trying to get Mother Nature to change her ways so ...

     This adorable snowman is a Penny Black stamp which I colored last weekend.  Since California is having an unseasonable heat wave (just in time for the start of the World Series in Los Angeles), I decided that it was time for more Christmas cards with snow and cold weather reflected on them.  Mother Nature being what she is, maybe she'll decide to cool things off if she sees us getting back to nature with beautiful snow all around.  :-D

     I used cool greens and icy blues and colored the image with my ProMarkers.  I die cut the image and a frame for it using dies from Spellbinders.  I found a scrap of winter blue lace, cut it in two, and added it to the card front before layering on the image.

     I made pale pink poinsettias by trimming the flowers off of a flower stem die by Memory Makers and stacking them together.  Then I added teeny, tiny pearls to the center of the flowers.  To offset those itsy bitsy pearls, I added some large ones to the top and bottom of the frame and along the side, next to the sentiment.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Color Inspiration Monday
Crafty Hazelnut's
Outlawz Festive Friday
Penny Black and More
Penny Black Saturday
Ribbon Girl
Scrapy Land
Winter Wonderland

     I really hope this cools down the weather.  103F in Los Angeles is too hot for any time of year, but is certainly abnormal for late October!  

Woodland Christmas

     I seem to be bouncing back and forth between Christmas and Halloween this week but that's what I've been creating for the last week so...

    This image is another of the ones my friend stamped for me and this one was such fun to color!  It reminded me so much of the song "Winter Wonderland" and the lines about building a snowman in the meadow only, this time, it's all the woodland friends who are building the snowman.   I suspect that may have been easier for them than putting up and decorating a tree.  :-D

     I colored with watercolor pencils and gamsol, then cut the image with a stitched die from Lawn Fawn.  I matted that with blue CS and added two scraps of red CS to a couple of the corners.  The musical score paper came from my stash (it may have been Bo Bunny) and I wrapped it with red, snowflake ribbon.  The sentiment was in my stash from QKR Stampede.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Let It Snow - Sparkles !

     OK, I'm home and the weather didn't cool down a bit while I was gone so we're still headed for daily temps over 100 F for at least the next week.  Yuck.

     But Catch the Bug is having their week long, Christmas-in-July challenge (with a different theme for each day) so I'm going to think "snow" and try to play along each day.  The last couple of years, I've played in some of the challenges but not each day.  This time, I want to do each daily challenge so you're going to see at least 2 posts from me on most days.  Here's my first one for the Saturday Catch the Bug challenge which requires sparkle.

     This is one of my older images from Bugaboo Stamps and I colored it with ProMarkers, then added glitter to the snowflakes, to the scarves and stocking caps, to the "Let It Snow" sentiment, and then added Wink of Stella to the stack of snowballs.

     I cut both the image and the red CS with stitched dies from Lawn Fawn.  The mesh ribbon is covered with sparkle and it literally sprinkles down every time it's touched!  I have glitter all over my craft table, all over me, all over the computer desk... Sheesh -  I think "snow" and I get a shower of glitter!  lol

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Aud Sentiments
Christmas with the Cuties
City Crafters
Cut It Up
Digi Choosday
Get Creative
TTCRD
Whoopsi Daisy

     I should be able to add at least 7 more Christmas cards to my stash or maybe more, if I get really inspired.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

No More Snow!

     I'm in complete sympathy with those of you who have been buried under the latest winter storms and those who are still experiencing snowflakes falling from the sky.  That kind of weather is a big part of the reason I only spent two years in Alaska before heading to California.  But I do want you to know I was thinking about you and this card was made just for you, but most especially my friend, Donna H, buried in the snowdrifts somewhere in the wilds of Northeast USA.  :-D

I used the sketch found at From the Heart  (I{heart}Sketches),

turned 1/4 turn, and the Birdbrain image is also one of theirs.

I followed the colors and "Snow Day" theme, as well.

     Birdbrain is colored with ProMarkers and I used some silver metallic marker on the shovel.  I cut the image with a stitched die from Die-namics.  I'm beginning to think that my die cutting machine (manual) has to be my favorite crafting tool ever.  I hardly make a card or layout without using die cuts and often find ways to incorporate them into other projects.  By now, I must have well over 200 die sets!

     The two ice-gray strips were scraps of white CS to which I applied some micro-glitter for a really sparkly paper.  The sentiment is mine, printed with two different computer fonts.  For embellishment, I dug through my stash of winter goodies, found the snowflakes and added them.  I used two scrap pieces of jute cord to tie the bow.  Both of those things added some great texture to the card without being too heavy or thick to mail.

     Challenges:
A Snowflake's Promise
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Cardmakers
Creates and Makes
Di's Digi Designs
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp

     I'm sending really warm wishes to all of you surrounded by all that white stuff, and no, I'm not talking about being surrounded by white sand on the beaches in Hawaii.  But I'll bet that's where you'd all rather be.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Shoveling Beats Shivering!

     I didn't grow up in a part of this country where it snows in the winter so spending the better part of two years in Anchorage, Alaska, came as a real shock to my system!  Eight months of winter every year made me shiver clear into the summer months.  Usually, along about January hubby would tell me that if I shoveled the driveway, it would stop the shivering and make me warm.  lol

     I was reminded of that when I saw the theme for our latest challenge over at QKR Stampede this week, "Warm Thoughts."   I knew I could use this darling image (Digi 9207, "Shoveling") and it would be a perfect reflection of that memory.

     I colored the image with my favorite ProMarkers and added his shadow on the snow by heat embossing with a VersaMark pen and gray-blue EP.   The die cut was made with one of my new dies from Spellbinders and I can already tell you that the dies in that set are going to get lots and lots of use.  I LOVE them!

     Once it was cut, I added the image piece to glittered light blue CS and layered that onto dark blue glittered CS.  Unfortunately, the glitter really doesn't show up in the photo.  I did the sentiment and then I decided that the intricacy of the frame was something I wanted to showcase, so all I added were a few glittery snowflakes and tiny blue stars.  Now it's a CAS design that doesn't really look too simple.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
House That Stamps Built
Inspiration Destination
Kraftin' Kimmie
Mod Squad
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Work It Weds.

     Come play with us this week.  We'd love to see your interpretation of "Warm Thoughts."  Will you do something that focuses on a fireplace or maybe dream of warm, tropical beaches?   Enter it into our challenge and inspire all of us.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie    

Mama's Girls

    We're starting a new challenge at Ike'sworld Challenges and we have an "Anything Goes" theme to make these early January days easy for you.  I adore this polar bear family drawn by Ike!

The colors are perfect for the challenge at Great Impressions.

     I colored the image with my Pro-Markers and then cut it with a Double Running Stitch die by STAMPlorations.   I've had this set of dies for a while now and the die is actually a rectangle but I needed a square, so I cut the image once, then moved the die up and cut the bottom off to make a square,  I love inventing new ways to use my dies!  :-D

     The dp is digital paper and I simply can't remember what digi stamp company created it so if you recognize it, please leave me a comment and tell me.  I'd love to give proper credit.  It's old paper I printed out some time ago and had left over from another project.  It was the exact size I needed for the background on this card so I used it instead of throwing it away.

     The silver snowflake embellie was made by cutting 3 layers of CS with a brand new die from Spellbinders,   I used dimensional dots to separate the die cut layers and attach them to the card front.  The top layer is silver and white stripe CS, made sparkly with extremely fine glitter, and the other layers are plain white.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Allsorts
Angie's Digital Stamps
Brown Sugar
Classic DT Open
C.R.A.F.T.
Cute Card Thursday
Cut It Up
Glitter n Sparkle
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz PAM
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Time Out
Tuesday Throwdown
Unicorn

     As this post goes live, the Christmas and New Year holidays are officially over and behind us for another year.  For me, that means I will be back and into my usual routine making cards and posting more regularly than I did during December.  I hope Santa treated you well and that you had a warm and wonderful New Year.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie