Feed the Birds

      I'm honored to be a guest designer for Penny's Paper-Crafty this fortnight and the sponsor of the image I used is All Dressed Up.  They supplied images for the DT and GD to use.  I used an image called "Feeding the Birds."  I thought it made a perfect winter card.  

     Colour of Love is the second sponsor for the challenge this month.

     I colored the image with a combination of Sanjoki and ProMarkers, then cut it with a die from Tonic Studios.  I used a Fiskars punch on the four corners.  That piece was mounted onto a rectangle of deep blue CS.  I cut the sentiment with a QuicKutz die and framed it with a scrap of the blue CS that framed the image.

     The snowflake dp came from a DCWV stack and I added some texture by dry embossing it with a brand new folder from Sizzix (thank you, Santa!)  My final touch was to embellish the card with a hand-tied, double loop bow made with simple red twine.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Creative Moments

Dream Valley

Make My Monday

Outlawz Tues

Pammie's IP

Paper Shelter

Passion for Markers

Simon Says Stamp

     I hope we see you playing in the challenge this time around.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Over the Moon

      Today's card serves as a reminder that our Challenge #13 at FarmQuest General Store still has a couple of weeks to run so there's still time for you to enter anything that has a country flavor.  Our sponsor is QKR Stampede and the image I used on this DT card is one of three images which are the prize.

     I love the humor this image invokes!  I think my sentiment says it all.  :-D  The image was colored with Sanjoki alcohol markers, then fussy cut.  The background was made by adding blue CS to the card front and trimming it to fit.  I added a multi-loop bow made from jute cord to enhance the country feel and the sentiment was cut with a die from Avery Elle.

     Challenges:

Creative Moments

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR ("...leaps & bounds")

Pammie's IP

Star Stampz

     If you haven't played already (or even if you have) come play with us before our challenge ends on March 5.  Our next challenge starts on March 7.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Last Surf'n of Summer

      It's the 3rd of the month and that means the newest Anything Goes challenge is starting over at the LeAnn's World 101 blog.  I'm doing a final salute to summer and I'm hoping to see an end to the hot days of summer and am ready to welcome the crisp evenings of fall, but in  the meantime, I'm going to let this guy, "Byron Surf'n," enjoy his last few waves.

     I colored with Sanjoki alcohol markers, then cut the image with a stitched CUTplorations die.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a die from Avery Elle.  I put everything onto a black card front and added a wrap of twine to the left side.  A CAS masculine card design.

     Challenges:

Addicted to CAS

Crafty Calendar

Creatalicious

Creative Fingers

Die Cut Divas

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Friday

Pattie's Creations

YSBP

     Now that we're back, we hope to see you entering our Blog Challenge and don't forget our Progressive Challenge each month over on our FB site.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1836531013324656  

     

     NanaConnie DT

Hat and Boots

      I made Father's Day cards for my two grandsons who are fathers and this is one of them.  I found this image on a clip art page and printed it in grayscale.  I used my Sanjoki markers to give it a sepia tone, then cut it with a QuicKutz die.  I printed the sentiment onto white CS and cut it to make the frame for the image.

     The background dp came from a Paper Studio stack.  I made the 'lariat' from twine and glued it in place with a dot of  Tacky Glue.  Another simple and relatively flat design for mailing to my grandson.  Doesn't it make you think of something from an old John Wayne movie or maybe "Centennial"?  :-D

     Challenges:

2 Sisters on the ...

Crafts Galore ...

Crafty Calendar

Creatalicious

Do Al(l) Kreatives

I Love Markers

Pattie's Creations

SheepSki Designs

Word Art Weds

YSBP

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Kittens in the Milk Pail

      I had so much fun making this card, my second DT project for the new challenge at FarmQuest General Store (FQGS, for short) which starts on the 7th of each month and ends on the 5th of the following month.  Our theme is always Anything Farm Country Goes (see the blog site for more specifics on that.)

     I played with an old photograph, printed in grayscale, and colored with blue ProMarkers to give it a bit of tint, kind of like coloring old tintypes.  I cut the image with a rectangle Tonic Studios die, then layered it onto a scrap piece of CS which was the center of  a frame previously cut with a Sue Wilson die for another project.  

     Moral of the story:  Never, ever throw out the scraps!  I know both the scrap CS and the scrap of dp have been around in the scrap basket for more than 2 years.  The twine is probably 4 or 5 years old, and the dies I used have been in my collection for more years than I can count.

     The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and the top edge of the mat was cut with that same Sue Wilson die so that the sentiment would tuck in nicely at the bottom of the image piece.  The striped dp was also a scrap from the basket and I think it was from a K & Co. stack.  The fiber/twine came from The Twinery.

     Challenges:

Digi Choosday

Outlawz Thurs

Pammie's IP

Paper Funday

Passion for Markers

Penny's P-C

Polkadoodles

SUYP Cats

Word Art Weds

     We'd love to see you playing in our challenges this month.  We get as much inspiration from you as you get from us, you know.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Is it a Pond or a Puddle?

      I'm sharing with you my first DT card for Angie's Digital Stamps and this darling little girl, playing in the (is it a pond or a puddle?) is called Daisy Mae Playing in Water.  Isn't she superb?  :-D  The  theme for our fun challenge is "Anything Goes" but you may use the twist of "Fall Colors" if you like.

     I colored with my favorite ProMarkers, then cut her with a square die from Cottage Cutz turned 'on point', as they say in quilting.  The square of purple CS was a scrap I found in the basket and it worked so perfectly with the dots in her dress that it simply had to decorate the card front.  I printed out the sentiment, cut it with a QuicKutz rectangle die, and added it to the CS just below where I had printed the first part of the sentiment using white gel pen.

     I added a few wraps of sparkle twine tied into a bow to finish it.  The background is ombre on water color paper.  Although it has quite few pieces, it still looks rather clean if not completely simple.  :-)

     Challenges:

Addicted to CAS

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Sentiments

Dare 2B Artzy

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Greetings

Passion for Markers

Taylormade ...

TTCRD 

     Please come and play in our challenge this month.  We love seeing what you create and you could win some fabulous images from Angie's.  :-D   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Graduating Bear

      I need to begin with an apology.  I had prepared this post, pre-scheduled it to go live at the proper time and the entire post just disappeared!  It didn't revert to a draft - it simply disappeared altogether.  I have no idea what happened but I'm betting on yet another Blogger glitch.  Sigh...

     In any case, this is my second post of the day and I'm sharing my DT card for QKR Stampede.  I used this sweet Graduating Bear image to make a card for my youngest grandson who leaves the world of middle school and next fall starts high school.  How did that happen?  It's not possible that he's old enough for that!

     Just a quick update - back in January I undertook a personal challenge to not purchase or use any new products that entire month and to use only things already in my stash of craft supplies.  Not only did I manage to do that successfully in January, I have continued to do that each month since then and this card is another made only from things in my stash.  I haven't purchased any new supplies since late last fall !  I had no idea my stash was that large.  lol

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Gina Marie die

Sentiment cut w Gina Marie die

Linen EF on card base

Black CS is a scrap

Jute cord and blue fiber twine

     Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps ...

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Double Trouble

Dream Valley

Lemon Shortbread

Lil Patch of ...

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting and come play with us!  NanaConnie    

Graduating Bear

      This is my next post of the day (and I have a total of 3 for the first of June) and it's for the new challenge at QKR Stampede.  I used Graduating Bear and this card is for my youngest grandson who leaves the world of middle school and heads for high school.  How did that happen?  Impossible!

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Gina Marie die

Sentiment cut w Gina Marie die

Jute cord twine

CAS Design

     Challenges:

(links will be added soon)

     Come play with us this fortnight.  Remember, QKR always has two separate draws - 1 for those who use any image and a second just for those who use a QKR Stampede image (or Eureka Stamps, our sister company) which means if you use QKR, your chances of winning are greatly increased!  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie  

Dad's BBQ

     It feels very odd not to be posting a DT card for QKR Stampede on a Friday morning but this is the week before we start our monthly challenges for the summer so our challenge from last week is still running until Sunday evening.  We will be starting our monthly challenges on the 1st of each month and that's next Monday.  You still have a couple of days to enter something in our previous challenge so check it out.  It's an Anything Goes theme so how can you lose?

     I spent some time the other day going through folders I have of digital images from companies which have closed their doors and stopped selling.  I found this in my folder of images from Karen's Digis.  While I was there, I printed out three or four additional images which I will color and share in upcoming days.  But with this image, I'm making two cards, and both of them are Father's Day cards.

     You see, I have one son and one SIL who are equally adept at the BBQ grill and feeding their families.  Fortunately, they live 1,000 miles apart in different states and they'll never share their cards with each other so they'll never know I used the same image.  The fun part is that this image would work well for any weekend day in either of their homes and even for a birthday.  I wouldn't have to wait for Father's Day.  :-D  The fun part is that I have a son and a grandson who have back to back birthdays in June and this card would definitely work for either of them.

     This is my next foray into the world of water coloring while trying to get decent shading and highlights.  I don't know if there's any real improvement over my last one but I did get some good shadows where they seem to belong.  lol

Colored with water color paints
Cut w/ Sizzix die
Mounted onto red card base
Baker's twine added
Masculine, CAS

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Artsy Stamper
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Crafty Catz
Creative Fingers
Outlawz Festive Fri
Paper Girls
Polkadoodles
Simon Says Stamp...

     I'll show you the other one when I get it finished.   In the meantime, I hope your weather is cool and decent.  Ours has been over 100 degrees F (I mean like 102, 103, 106 and they are saying 107 today) for 4 days and we're still three weeks away from summer!  Yuck, why do I live here?

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cat with the Coffee

     Today's card is late for the Coffee Lovers Hop but the image came from Limited Runs .  :-D   Doesn't he look like the dollop of whipped cream for his latte ended up on his head?  No wonder he wanted just the coffee.  lol

My colors came from this challenge at Color My Heart.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with pinpoint, Memory Box die
Matting layers cut with Memory Box dies
Background paper from DCWV
Burlap twine, triple loop, bow

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Cute Card Thurs
Double Trouble
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paperbabe Stamps
Pattie's Creations
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Polkadoodles

     Thanks for visiting and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Critters for a Baby

     It's August 1 and we are starting a new monthly challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies.  As always, our theme is "Anything Goes Featuring a Critter."  This month, we're sponsored by SheepSki Designs.  Since I'm on that DT also, I'm letting this card do double duty for the new challenge over there which starts today, too.

     The fun part is that the theme at SheepSki is also "Critters" so any card you might make for 2CCC can also be entered in the SheepSki Designs challenge.  Here's my card using these adorable giraffes (Mini Me #174) for a new baby card.

I used colors from the challenge at The Outlawz.

Colored with ProMarkers
Die cut with Tonic Studios and QuicKutz dies
Paper from DCWV "Nanna's Nursery" stack
Twine and Jute cord

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Colour Crazy
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Di's Digi Designs
Scrappy Land
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sweetpeas for Beccy's Place

    One of my favorite stamp artists is Beccy from Beccy's Place.  Her work is available in either rubber or digital stamps.  She runs a monthly challenge and the theme is always "Anything Goes" but each month she offers an optional twist.  You are required to use a Beccy's Place image but she gives a digital freebie every month which can be used if you wish.  I've been buying her images for so long that I have a really huge collection.  :-D

     This month she gave us a Tic Tac Toe twist and I've used the right hand column: Twine/ Flowers/ Embossing.

      I love these sweet peas and this time I started with a pre-colored image.  Before I printed it, I used tools in Word to lighten the image, making the background around the flower a softer and more pale blue.  Then, I used ProMarkers to intensify the sweet pea colors, plus pencils and gel inks to add highlights and shading to the petals and leaves. 

     The "Sweetpeas" sentiment is part of the image set and I printed it, then trimmed it to fit the banner space in the image.

     I fussy cut the image, then layered it onto a piece of white CS which I had cut with a Tonic Studios die.  The deep purple frame was cut with another, larger, Tonic Studios die from the same set.

     I double embossed the card front.  I started with periwinkle CS, embossed the front of it with my 'Linen' folder, then used a Sizzix 'Leaves' folder to emboss right over the 'Linen" embossing.  The spaces between the leaves still shows the 'Linen' embossing.  I layered everything together and added the jute cord twine and bow.

     Challenges:
Brown Sugar
Crafty Creations
Di's Digi Designs
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Southern Girls
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     Thanks for visiting and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

For Love of a Dog

     I want everyone to know that I closed the door and banned the feline fur babies from the craft room while I write up this post.  They'd be complaining if they knew I was honoring dogs in general and one canine in particular.  lol  Hey, at least I'm staying true to loving fur critters better than those with feathers.  For me, that's probably because I think it's easier to color fur than it is feathers.

     This darling image is from Dragon's Lair and is for their monthly progressive challenge.  But I'm using it to honor Rambo, the best friend of a dear blogging buddy of mine, Lynn.  Rambo is a ferocious guard dog, fiercely protecting his family and home from invading cats and squirrels, despite the fact that his legs are only inches tall.  Go get 'em, Rambo!

     Since Rambo is a red doxie instead of black, I mixed as many shades as I could of red-brown water colors to color the image.  I used ProMarkers to do the nose, the eyes, and his collar.  I used Tonic Studios dies to cut the image and the frame.  As a salute to Lynn, I did a CAS design and added twine, both of which she does on most of her cards.  I really like the CAS for this one because it showcases dear Rambo so beautifully and makes a great masculine card.  :-D

     Challenges:
Addicted to CAS
As You Like It
Crafty Addicts
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lemon Shortbread
Scrappy Land
That's Crafty
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     Lynn, I hope you love this and I can't wait to see your own version of this.  Hug Rambo for me but don't tell the cats!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Hoppy Bunnies

     I'm sure every child believes that an Easter celebration must be filled with hopping bunnies so I'm doing my best to give them that. 
:-D

I started with the sketch from Stella Says Sketch

but I had to eliminate the half-circle 

because I just couldn't get it to work.

I used the purple crocuses instead.

     That darling image is from Bugaboo Stamps and I colored it with my polychromos pencils and ProMarkers.  I cut the image with a die from Sue Wilson and then cut the backing for it with another die from that same set.

     I had already decided that I wanted to do a monochromatic theme so I chose my favorite color, purple.  The background CS is hand bleached with a Q-tip, a long process but I take an entire weekend to do several sheets of different colors all at once and then keep them for future use.

     I added lilac ribbon to the white lace and wrapped it around the card front before adding the image and sentiment.  I tied a tiny bow using purple baker's twine and then added the flower embellies, plus pearl gems at the top of the image.  The flowers are sparkly with glitter for a tiny bit more bling.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Allsorts
Angie's Digital Stamps
Catch the Bug (gems/mono/twine)
Crafter's Castle
Crafting from the Heart
Hiding in My Craft Room (top row & middle column)
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pammie's Inky Pinkies

     Check back in a few more hours when the QKR Stampede challenge will go live (midnight Eastern time or 3:00 a.m. Pacific time) and you'll see the DT card I did for this week.  In the meantime, those of you on the other side of the world who are awake when I'm sleeping, good morning to all of you and thanks for visiting.  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

Crisp Autumn Nights

     This beautiful image is drawn by Shell Becker and is for the Progressive Challenge at the Outlawz for November.  It's such a delightful, late-fall image.

I took color inspiration from the challenge at Aloha Friday.

      Of course, I used my ProMarkers to color it including a bit of gray and pale yellow on the sentiment piece to tone down the otherwise too bright white of the CS on which the sentiment was printed.

     I cut the image and the sentiment with dies from a Gina Marie Designs set.  I matted both pieces with deep brown CS and added them to a pre-made, yellow card blank.  I added only two strands of orange and brown twine and then left it completely CAS.

     Challenges:
Color Inspiration Mon.
Crafty Catz
Double D
Passion for ProMarkers
Star Stampz
SUYP Cats
Word Art Weds.

     Later today, I'll have my next card for Beccy's Month of Holiday challenges.  I can hardly believe I've managed to have a card for each day so far!  Of course, working ahead is possible when you know that the entire alphabet will be used as themes, with an occasional curve thrown in to cover the other days since there are more days than letters in the alphabet.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Coolest Dad Ever!

     I think this "cool cat" from Eureka Stamps is the funniest thing ever!  I decided it was perfect for another Father's Day card.  My own dad having been gone for many years, I now make them for family members who are dads.  :-D  This one will go to my #1 grandson.

     Because it's going to be mailed, I kept it as simple as I could.  I colored the image with my ProMarkers, added white gel ink as reflection on the sunglasses, and fussy cut it by hand.  That was time consuming and detailed but it's a technique I love to do every now and then.  I matted it with an embossed frame ("Linen" folder) of white CS which had been die cut it with a stitched die.

     Both the multi-colored frame (cut with a die from a CUTplorations set) and the background paper are from a Recollections stack.  I added sparkly twine, tied into a knot and with the ends feathered, as a salute to embellishment.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps & More
Fab 'n' Funky
Great Impressions
Inspiration Destination
Mod Squad
Outlawz CAS
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Simon Says Monday
STAMPlorations

     I hope you have wonderful plans for your weekend even if you are mostly staying home.  Find time for enjoyment and reflection.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie