Summer's End

      It's the end of summer and all the vacationers are heading home.  Airports are filled, train terminals are jammed with people and luggage, even the highways are clogged with cars and trucks burdened with suitcases, backpacks, and boxes of souvenirs loaded into the trunk or tied onto the roof rack.

     This sweet image is from the Progressive Challenge at LeAnn's World and it's perfect for today's Heading Home theme.  I colored with ProMarkers, and used Memory Box dies to cut  both the image and the embossed frame piece ('Linen' EF.)  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The butterfly background dp was a scrap in the basket.

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Crafty Hazelnut's

Die Cut Divas

Leigh SB Designs

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paper Dragonfly

Paper Funday

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Santa on Vacation

      This is my second post for today.  If you're looking for my QKR Stampede DT card, scroll down one post.

     This post features my card made for the final day of the Christmas in July daily challenges at Catch the Bug.  We had to make a project inspired by this photo.



     Here's where inspiration took me.  When the Christmas rush is over and supervising the elves in the toy shop isn't yet needed for next year, Santa takes a tropical vacation.  :-D

     I colored the image with ProMarkers and gel inks, then carefully fussy cut it.  The 'sand' and sea in the scene are made from patterned paper, but I used a white gel pen to make the breaking waves in the ocean.

     The sky is done on white CS with water color pencils and gamsol for blending.  I printed the sentiment, cut it by hand and added it to the card front.  The three tiny pearls are the only embellishment but there is great visual texture from the four layers - 3 dp plus the image.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas (on a beach - lol)
Aud Sentiments
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper
Digi Doodle Studios
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Outlawz Festive Friday
Sasayaki Glitter
Sisterhood of Crafters
Star Stampz
That's Crafty

     Don't forget - today and tomorrow are the last days of the Challenges for Days Birthday Bash and all you have to do to win is to comment on my post (HERE) and on the Birthday Bash post at Challenges for Days.  There are great prizes to be won from not only some lovely sponsors on Saturday but also from each of the CfD List Manager volunteers who have offered prizes of crafting goodies.  Check it out and be sure to leave comments on all the blogs which are offering prizes.  See the list on the CfD blog.   

     That's all I have for today but you did get a "twofer" so no complaining.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Hawaii Mouse

     Look what I did last night!  Too many "vacation" days without crafting and I begin to twitch.  :-D  I used this darling little traveling mouse from Rick St. Dennis.  It's the image we got for playing in Part 1 of the Progressive Challenge over there last month.  This is Part 2, using the image.

     I colored the image with my ProMarkers and then hand cut it for that out-of-the-box look.  The really fun part is that all the papers, including the black CS for the matting, were scrap pieces.  Even the two ribbons were scraps.  That's what I had with me so...  Because I had those scraps, I had decided on a pink color palette for the image but then discovered I only had yellow and blue card bases and everything looked better on the yellow than the blue.  The image is popped up on dimensional dots.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Animal Friends
Clear It Out
Country View Crafts
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafty Boots
Creative Craft Cottage
Deep Ocean
DL.ART
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Outlawz Coloring
Ribbon Girl
Stamp and Create
Tinker-Dream
Whoopsi Daisy

     OK, I'm gone again (until Friday with DT posts for Pattie's Creations and QKR Stampede.)  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie  

Fishing - Vacation or Sport?

     I had an uncle who insisted that fishing was a sport, but my dad always said a day spent fishing was like taking a vacation.  Since he often took me fishing with him, and it always felt like special father-daughter time when he did, I guess I don't really care which it is -- I just love going fishing.  It brings me such sweet and wonderful memories of him.  :-D

     Here's a card I know he'd love, including the lovable turtle character.  That came from QKR Stampede.

I used the sketch from STAMPlorations

and Citrus/Tropical Colors from Craft Your Passions.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers, then die cut with a die from Spellbinders.  I inked the edges, typed up the sentiment, and found the three, heart-shaped, buttons in my stash.  I strung them together with baker's twine and adhered them to the dp on the front of the card.  The dp came from Colorbok.

     Challenges:
Crafting with Dragonflies
Crazy Challenge
Digistamps 4 Joy
Eureka Stamps
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
House That Stamps Built
Little Red Wagon
MFP Simple Salutations
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Simon Says Stamp

     Hope your weekend is going well and that the weather is decent.  If it's too hot or too cold, maybe you should be inside crafting!  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie