Kitten & Puppy Thank You

     Last year, I made a card very similar to this one and, when a friend of mine saw it, she asked if I could make a set of them so that she could use them for Thank You cards after the holidays.  She does a lot of entertaining and is often given hostess gifts by those invited to her home.  She likes to send out handwritten 'Thank You' cards and finding handmade cards made them even more special in her mind.

     I used the same image on each one and varied the color of the burlap and the bow so that she'd have a few different colors to use.  This is the most neutral of them.

I based them on the sketch at Sketch Saturday, 

turned sideways and with one piece behind the image instead of two.

     I colored with ProMarkers, die cut the image and the two mats, and layered everything together onto the burlap.  The background is made with fiber paper.  The bow is one of those I make and toss in my stash for later use.

     Challenges:
Allsorts
ArtbyMiran
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Friends
Inkspirational
Outlawz PAM
Polka Doodles
Stamping Boutique
Stempelsonnen

     Another short post but my time is just so full that I'm getting little crafting or posting time.  After the New Year, I promise.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Believe in Christmas Magic

     This is either the last Christmas card I made in 2015 or it'll be my first one for 2016.  :-D  Either way, I made it with a kit I had gotten with this fun House Mouse stamp.  The papers and the die cut sentiment were in the kit and I used ribbon from my stash to make the bow myself.   I did use my new Bow-It-All which my family got me for Christmas.  :-D  A fast card and a fast post.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers, cut with a QuicKutz die, and the edges are sponged with chalk.  The dark green CS (looks almost black in the photo) is embossed.  I used a sequin for the dot on the "i".

     Challenges:
A Snowflakes Promise
Chalk n Stock
C.R.A.F.T.
Creative Card Crew
Crimbo Crackers
Inky Chicks
Lemon Shortbread
Male Room
Outlawz Greetings
Passion for Promarkers
Scrapy Land
WordArt Weds.

     We're mid-way between Christmas and the New Year and I'll be returning on January 2, if you're wondering about getting back to the regular daily posting routine.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Warm Irish Coffee Wishes

     Winter and December/January holidays are great times for sending warm wishes and holding hot cups of coffee in otherwise frozen hands.  When it's Irish Coffee, that's even better.  :-D

     I made this masculine card for a friend who was kind enough to commission 8 Christmas cards from me.  The image is from My Whimsical Little World.  It was a freebie on their FB page and I'm entering it in their "Anything Goes" challenge on the blog..  I colored it with my ProMarkers and die cut it with one of my hexagon dies.  I used that same die set to cut the red and black CS used for framing it.

     The sentiment is computer generated, printed, and cut with a die from Spellbinders, then I added matching red and black CS to frame it.  Everything was mounted onto blue, shiny CS to give it an icy look suitable for a penguin.

     The only embellishment is the bow from my stash of those I make myself.

     Challenges:
Card and Scrap
Catch the Bug
CCC Digi
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Friends
Die Cut Divas
Just Keep on Creating
Karleigh Sue
Outlawz Greetings
Petal Lu

     Hope your rush is slowing down a bit and that you're now able to spend some time gathering new creative energy for the New Year.  We all deserve a short break before we face the necessity of getting back into the drudge of our every day routines after the holiday hustle and bustle.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Snowmen or Snowflakes

    

     Let me start by wishing each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas!   I hope your day is filled with family and friends and Christmas blessings.  When the gifts are opened and the meal has been enjoyed, maybe you'll find a bit of time to visit a few blogs.  Just in case you do, we have a new challenge starting today over at QKR Stampede.  Our new theme is Snowmen or Snowflakes.  You can use any image you like and if you want to use one from QKR, there are so many cute and loveable snowmen.  Just check out the store.

     I chose to use Digi 5303 "Hitch Hiking Snowman" but to me, he's just offering a hand of friendship.  :-D  On the other hand, maybe he's looking for a ride to someplace colder, filled with lots of snow.

I used the colors in the challenge at Paper Sweeties.

     I used ProMarkers and glitter to color the image, then cut it with one of dies from Spellbinders.  The "Merry" sentiment is cut with a die from Memory Box.  The paper has been in my stash forever and those are both scrap pieces.  I found sequins and glittery snowflakes to add as embellishment but still kept the card as CAS as possible.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Card Mania
Christmas Challenge
Colour Your World
Come and Get It
Craft and Smash
Crafty Time
Emerald Faeries
Just Keep on Creating
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Natalie and Amy's
One Stitch at a Time
Outlawz CAS
Outlawz Tuesday
Robyn's Fetish
Sparkles Forum Christmas
Your Scrapbook Place

     I hope we're going to see you playing along sometime this week.  In the meantime, warm Christmas thoughts and prayers.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Oh, Christmas Tree(s)

     Two quick and related cards today.  The first one has a digi image that I got at From the Heart Stamps and the second is done with a simple Christmas Postage punch (maker unknown) and die cuts.

      I used ProMarkers to color the green portions of the trees, then added some sparkly texture paste to them.  I used a die set from Spellbinders to cut the image and inlaid it into another die cut.  The sentiment is also cut with that same set and inlaid into a larger cut.  The silver trees were stamped onto acetate, heat embossed with silver EP, and peeled off.  I added a bit of color to the baubles with ProMarkers.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Creative Card Crew
Deep Ocean
Inky Chicks
Lemon Shortbread