Potted Roses

     Today I'm sharing another of my 'all die cuts' cards.  I love doing these when I travel and don't have all my coloring tools with me.  It's easy to do a bunch of die cuts of varied subjects and colors ahead of time, then pack them away carefully between 2 pieces of cardboard.  Pop those into a plastic bag, add a glue pen, and you have everything ready for card making on the run.  :-D

     For this one, I cut the roses twice, one green and one yellow, using a die from Cottage Cutz.  The plant pot was cut with a Cheery Lynn die, and the butterfly (both layers) is Impression Obsession.  The "Hello" sentiment was done with a Poppy Stamps die.  I had a scrap of pale green, checked, dp which I used for the background.

     For the roses, I cut the flowers off the yellow die cut and layered them onto the green die cut.  I used white gel ink to highlight them and added tiny gems for a touch of sparkle.  I used the gel  pen on the pot as well.  The butterfly was highlighted with pencil and gel ink before adding gold pearls to the body.

     The sentiment was added last.  I wanted the die cuts to be the focus so no ribbons, no 3D flowers, no embellies, just the dp and the die cuts for something CAS.

     Challenges:
Addicted to CAS
CARDZ TV
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Creations
Crazy for CAS
Incy Wincy (1 word senti/creature/checks)
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Greetings
Star Stampz

     That's all I have for this hot summer day.  We've already had more 100F+ days in a row than we normally have all summer long so I'm done with summer!  I'm ready for rain, cool days, falling leaves, and something better than the weathermen saying, "105 again today."  Yuck.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

One Last Christmas in July

     All last week, I did Christmas cards for the daily challenges at Catch the Bug.  Today, I have one last Christmas in July card but this time the image is from AuroraWings.  While their challenge theme has nothing to do with Christmas, how could I resist these adorable felines?  I got this image back in January and I've been waiting to use it so this week seemed the perfect time.

     I'm truly not sure if they are decorating or un-decorating the tree.  If it was my fur babies, they'd be taking it apart!  lol

      The image is printed right onto the card front for a very CAS design and I colored it with polychromos pencils, plus I added glitter to the tree ornaments.  The sentiment is done with a die from Die-Versions.  I cut it three times from red CS, stacked those together and glued them with a glue pen, then added them to the card front.

     The stacking gives some great dimension but also adds texture.  A CAS card, easy to mail.

     Challenges:
Christmas Crafts All Year Round
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Die Cuttin' Divas
Hiding in My Craft Room
Outlawz Festive Fridays
Outlawz PAM
Send a Smile 4 Kids
SUYP Cats

     This will be the last Christmas card for a couple of weeks.  But now that I've gotten a start, I'll be doing two or three each month for the rest of the summer, then I do at least one a week through the holidays.  I get my stash built up each year because I need 20 to 25 for family and close friends, and then I donate 50 to 75 to my local senior center.
   
     I started doing that when I moved here 5 years ago.  It happened quite by accident.  My first Christmas in my new home, I was busy unpacking through the late fall and finally ran across a box of Christmas cards I had done for family but by the time I found them, I had already made and mailed new ones because I couldn't find that particular box.  The senior center is literally 2 blocks away and I passed it on my way over to my daughter's house the very day I found the cards.

     I turned around, went back to the house, grabbed the box of cards, and took it over to the Senior Center just to see if anyone might be interested in having cards for their own family and friends.  I knew some of those attending activities at the center really don't have adequate transportation to get out to the Hallmark store to buy cards for family and friends.  There were only about 20 or so but I understand they were all taken that very afternoon.

     The next year, I did an extra 25 cards specifically to take to the Senior Center.  By year three, the center manager called me on December 1st to ask if there was any chance I was bringing cards that year also.  It seems she had requests and inquiries from many of the seniors asking if there would be cards that year.  :-D  Now I make as many cards as I can for the Senior Center and every year I get wonderful feedback and warm "Thank You"s so I keep on doing it.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Bash Winner from my Blog

     Just a quick post this morning to announce the winner of the Spellbinders' die set I offered for the Birthday Bash at Challenges for Days.  And the winner is....... (drum roll, please).....

                           VICKI from Stamped Smiles !! 

Woohoo, Vicki.  Please send your mailing address in an email to ChallengesForDays@yahoo.com and mention that you are the winner from NanaConnie's blog.

Congratulations.  :-D  

Embroidery Butterflies

     This is going to be a really fast post this morning.  I'm back to machine embroidered things which I can use on cards and this morning, it's pink butterflies! 

     Pink and silver seemed a great combo for a completely feminine card which is still on the CAS side.  The die cuts are done with Bo Bunny dies, and the scalloped dp is from the scrap basket.  I layered everything onto a pink card base and then added a silver, die cut sentiment (Unbranded die.)

     Challenges:
Butterfly Challenge (Old Rose)
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
House that Stamps Built
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Victorine Originals

     That's it for me and I hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.  NanaConnie