Spring Flower Cart

      It's time for the next challenge at I Love ProMarkers and our wonderful sponsor is Paper Nest Dolls.  Our theme is "Spring Time" and I used a darling Paper Next Dolls image called "Flower Cart Avery."

      Colored with ProMarkers, and cut with a fancy Spellbinders die.  The pink CS mat is another Spellbinders die cut.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, then matted with a pink CS scrap.  The little bow was hand sewn and a sequin was added.  The tiny leaves came from the scrap basket and I simply can't remember what die I used.  I know it was a leftover from Christmas crafting.

I pulled my colors from the challenge at My Favorite Things.

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Crafty Catz

Cupcake Inspirations

Die Cut Divas

Double Trouble (image sized up)

Outlawz Festive Fri

Polkadoodles

     

     We'd love to see you entering our challenge.  We love being inspired by you, maybe even more than you love seeing our inspiration creations.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tall & Slim and Thankful

      If I was tall and slim, I'd definitely be thankful but the tall/slim part actually refers to the slimline card I made in my role as a Guest Designer for the Monday Greetings challenge at The Outlawz (which seems to be a little bit late posting today.)  The sponsor is Twinkle Lane Designs, and the Helenium Flowers image is one of my favorites.  It really colored up nicely in autumn colors.

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel inks, then cut the image with an octagon die from QuicKutz.  The center ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I made the fall wreath by cutting tiny leaves (Cheery Lynn dies) from colored CS, gluing them in layers in a wreath shape.  I added itty bitty corn ears, a flower made from layering petal cuts (Spellbinders dies) and adding a bead to the center, and two gem embellies (a butterfly and a round dot) at the bottom of the wreath. 

     The sentiment was written in gold paint pen onto a wood grain banner (fussy cut) and the autumn leaves are stickers from Recollections.  I had it all put together, then decided I needed something in the middle of the wreath, so found the little tag that says "Autumn", sewed thread into the top and glued the middle of the thread to the underside of the topmost leaf so that it hangs free.  Nothing CAS about this one!  lol

Colors came from the inspiration at My Favorite Things.

     Challenges:

Butterfly  (all 3 colors)

Crafty Creations

Creative Fingers

Die Cut Divas

Double D

Double Trouble (tall/thin dies/T = thankful/ taupe/ tree leaves/ thread)

Ellibelle's Crafty

House that Stamps Built

Outlawz SAR

STAMPlorations

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Grateful Piggie

      We're starting a new challenge at Angie's Digital Stamps this morning and the theme is "Anything Goes" (no twist this month.)  This is our last challenge of the year because the DT takes a 2 month break over the holidays.

     I thought this sweet little piggie (Pig Eating from Trough) would be perfect for a Thanksgiving card.  Doesn't he look completely grateful for his holiday corn?  :-D

     I colored him with my ProMarkers and cut the image with a Cottage Cuts stitched die.  I found scraps bits of dp, including the strip of leaves, in my basket, and I think they are all from a DCWV stack.  Although it's difficult t see in the photo, the small leaves along that strip are sparkly and embossed.  I printed my own sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die.  The large leaf is cut from silk and the polka dot bow is hand tied.

I pulled these colors from the photo at

Color My Heart Color Dare #463:

pink, yellow, orange, red, beige, brown + pale blue from shadows on the tree trunks

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Catz

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Pattie's Creations

Simon Says Stamp

TTCRD

     Come play with us since this is our last challenge this year.  We love seeing what you create and also being inspired by your creations.  Since we won't see you in November or December, may I wish you the happiest of holidays now?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Candle

     This is it!  Fourth post of the day and the last one.  :-D

     One last DT card for another new monthly challenge and this time it's at the SheepSki Designs blog!  We have a theme this month, "Anything Christmas."  Since you are a bit over 6 weeks away from Christmas (yes, it's true, and I don't know how that happened either!), it's a great time to add a couple more holiday cards to your stash.  You know you're going to need them.

     I used one of Andrea's newer images, Christmas Candle, and it really inspired me to use traditional colors.  It reminds me of all the holiday references to candles in the windows for those who are making their way home, hence the sentiment.,

     I colored with ProMarkers and Copics and used dies from QuicKutz to cut the image and the mat behind it, plus the aperture in the card front.  I added golden Nuvo Crystal Drops to the centers of the poinsettias.  The leaves I used for the 'wreath' frame were cut with a Cheery Lynn die.  The background paper was in my stash of Christmas papers and I've had it for so long I'm not absolutely sure but I think it came from one of my Bo Bunny stacks.

     Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
Beccy's Place (aperture & avocado green)
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Die Cut Divas
Fabrika Fantasy
Joy Clair
Not Just Cards
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds.
   
     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thankful for Autumn Deer

     "Autumn Deer" - that's the name of this beautiful image from Ching-Chou Kuik, who just happens to be our sponsor for the October challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies.  As always, the theme is "Anything Goes with a Featured Critter."  Ching-Chou Kuik provided images for the DT to use and a few of us also used images from our own collection so be sure to check out the challenge post to see all of the images used by our DT.

     This time I colored with a combination of polychromos pencils and ProMarkers, then I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders.  I took some of the tiny leaves (which are the negative bits that fell out of the die cut) and colored them, then scattered them across the card as though they were blown by an autumn wind.

     I found a scrap of brown CS, ran it through my "Linen" embossing folder, and mounted it onto a kraft card front.  I wrapped the card front in coral ribbon and added the sentiment, plus one of my favorite hand-sewn bows.  The bow was originally white but I use ProMarkers to 'dye' it the color I wanted.  This card is pretty CAS and can be easily mailed.

     A couple of posts ago, I told you that winter was my favorite season but I was in the middle making Christmas cards and that definitely influenced my choice.  Truth be told, I love autumn best.  After a long, usually very hot summer, the cooler nights of fall and the smell of rainstorms rolling in satisfy me in a way little else does.  I used to be thrilled that football was back but I gave up watching televised football games when I became disillusioned with the NFL.  Still, I love autumn because it means cooler weather and a chance to craft with all those autumn colors which I tend to ignore the rest of the year.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Ching-Chou Kuik
C.R.A.F.T.
Cute Card Thurs.
House that Stamps Built
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Paper Shelter
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds.

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our October challenge.  We love seeing what you create and there's no limitation on what you make as long as it features a critter of some sort.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Jumping in Leaves

     Nothing is more fun in the fall than jumping in leaves!  Kids love doing it and grown ups love remembering when their bodies were young enough to do it.  Well, at least I do.  :-D

     Another Friday and another "Anything Goes" challenge from QKR Stampede.  I'm sticking with doing autumn cards in hopes that the fall weather will finally arrive and today's card is no exception.  I've used an image and a sentiment from QKR's sister company, Eureka Stamps.  The image is called "Lady Throwing Leaves" and the sentiment is "Jump into Pile of Leaves."

I was inspired by the sketch at AAA Cards

turned sideways.

     I chose the scrap of paper before I started coloring with ProMarkers and pulled colors from it.  I cut the image and the brown frame with Sizzix dies.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it and inked the edges with a ProMarker. 

     I took the scrap of paper and tore the edges all the way around for a distressed look.  I layered everything onto a kraft card base.  I dub out black and gold jute cord and wrapped the card front with them, tying a knot.  I also tied a small, black, polka dot, bowtie bow and added it.  I really liked the CAS look of the design so I left it as it was.

     Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Dragonfly Dreams
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrappy Land
Time Out
Word Art Weds

     OK, now it's all up to you.  Come enter our challenge this week and you might win some fabulous QKR Stampede images!  See you there.  NanaConnie

Barrel of Fall Blossoms

   
     This card uses a sweet image from A Day for Daisies and I'm finally using it to enter their monthly challenge.  Nothing like waiting until the end of the month, right?  I love those darling little birds flitting around.

      Fall is definitely my favorite season so I colored the image in autumn colors using my ProMarkers, then die cut it.  I used one of my Sizzix embossing folders on the water-colored background paper to give it some woodgrain.  I actually embossed it while the paper was still a bit damp.  It really made the embossing stand out.  I used another of the dies from that set to cut that piece after the paper completely dried.

     I used a Fiskars punch to cut the small leaves from scraps on my desk and layered them so they seem to have a dark shadow around them.  The strip of dp was a tiny scrap which I decided to mat and use rather than throw away.  The sentiment is hand cut and matted three times, again using up snippits.

     Finally, I did the satin ribbon bow.  At first, I was going to dye it a fall color, but when I dropped it onto the card while reaching for the marker, it seemed to echo the white in the sentiment and in the image so I left it as it was.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Moments
Die Cuttin' Divas
I {heart} ProMarkers
Kraftin' Kimmie
Pixie's Snippits Playground
Sisterhood of Crafters
Through the Craft Room Door
Tuesday Throwdown

     The weather people have promised that by this weekend our temperatures will fall into the more seasonal mid- to low-80s.  Not to be ungrateful, but I'm still waiting for the low-70s days and into the really low-50s at night.  That's when I'll know for sure that fall is here to stay until well into December when winter finally arrives.  After all, these weather people are the same ones who promised us about 3 weeks ago that there would be no more 100 degree days.  Yeah, right!  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" BOX BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX. SORRY.

Missing You

     This lovely image is from The East Wind and I just loved coloring her!  She was perfect for autumn colors and leaves.

     I colored her with my ProMarkers, then used a die from Spellbinders to cut her out.  I cut yellow CS with that same die and used the little leaves that fell out of the frame to insert into the white frame of the image piece.  I adhered a scrap of fall leaves dp to the card front, then layered on the image and the yellow leaves.

     I used a leaf die (Die-namites) to cut both yellow and brown CS, and added those leaves.  The die makes a strip of leaves so I had to cut them apart to use them the way I did.  Final touch was the burlap bow which has been 'dyed' with a Buttercup Yellow ProMarker.

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
Brown Sugar
Cards in Envy
Crafty Boots
Crazy Challenge
Creative Corner
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Melonheadz Friends
Paper Girls
Pile It On
Time Out
Whoopsi Daisy

     I really hope fall is going to arrive soon.  Yesterday, in the last week of September, we hit 101 degrees!  That's more than 50 days we had over-100-degree temperatures during the three summer months (nearly 20 more than is usual for us and I hate every one of them!) and now 2 more days over 100 even though it's officially fall.  I'm tired of the heat.  I want cool days, crisp nights, and no thoughts of hot days for at least another 8 months.  Is that too much to ask?  lol  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" BOX BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX. SORRY.

"Fall" in Love

     How's this for a perfect, fall wedding, bridal shower card?  The shower decorations are all being done in fall colors.  The image is from The East Wind, where their current FB challenge has a theme of "Lovin' the Animals."

My colors were inspired by Our Crafty Corner.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers, then die cut with a die from Spellbinders.  I took a few of the leaves which were bits that dropped out of the die cut, colored them with ProMarkers, and used them for corner embellies.  The background CS (all from my stash) is hand-torn and layered onto the card front.  Each piece was run through my "Linen" folder before tearing.  The bow is made from hem tape lace and I 'dyed' it with ProMarker to get the color I wanted.

     Challenges:
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards
City Crafter
Clear It Out
Crafty Catz
Crafty Creations
Deep Ocean
Fan-Tastic Tuesday
Hanna & Friends
Little Claire's
Not Just Cards
Oddball Art Stamps
Our Creative Corner
Really Reasonable Ribbon
Scrapy Land
Simply Papercraft
Sisters of Craft
Whoopsi Daisy

     Hey, it's Wednesday and officially Autumn here in the Northern Hemisphere!  Only two more days 'til the weekend and our weather is supposed to cool down for a day or so, then get hot again on Friday and Saturday.  I keep hoping for the cool breath of fall but I'm beginning to lose faith in the weather predictors.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

When Summer Leaves...

        At the Perfect Sentiment Challenge this week we are being sponsored by Bugaboo Stamps and we have your favorite "Anything Goes" as a challenge theme.   Bugaboo generously supplied us with images and sentiments and I chose to use "AKV (A Kid's View) Fall Leaves."

I chose to use this sketch from Operation Write Home (where this card will be going so that it can be used by one of our troops to write to loved ones back home) and the colors are from Shelly's Images.

  

     My image is colored with a combination of Copic, Promarker, and Spectrum Noir markers, then matted with CS and layered onto two dps from the Jillibean Soup 'Dutch Mustard' pad.  I did my sentiment so that the "leaves" in the image became part of the sentiment -- "When Summer Leaves."

     The twine came from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I wrapped it three times before tying a double bow.  The flower was made from different punched layers with  a brad to hold them together.  Again, clean-and-simple and easy to mail.

     Challenges:
Inspired by -- photo inspiration (fall)
Oozak -- Fall
Sparkles Forum Challenge -- Nature

     Thanks so much for visiting today.  I hope you have time to browse around a bit, and it would be great if you'd pop over to the Perfect Sentiment Challenge and see what all the others have by way of inspiration for you.  Remember to use a sentiment, and come play with us.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie