Guest Designer for Ike's World

      I have the honor of having been asked to be a more-or-less permanent Guest Designer at Ike's World.  It's almost like returning to a DT where I served for more than a year.  I've missed being there.  

:-D

     The February challenge begins today and runs throughout the month.  Our theme is "Anything Goes" but we also always have an optional theme which you may use if you wish.  This month that option is "Valentine or Love."   I chose to use a funny and  sweet image from Ike's Art called "Peeping Tom."  Obviously, this would appeal to any cat lover but I turned it into a Valentine for a cat lover.  :-D  

     I colored with my ProMarkers, then cut the image with a Spellbinders die.  The heart was cut with another Spellbinders die and the corners were rounded with a Fiskars punch.  The sentiment frame was a leftover; the open space around the sentiment was cut using a die from Avery Elle.  The sentiment itself was hand cut.  The sparkly red strip and the plaid dp behind the heart were also leftover scraps.  In fact, everything used on this card came from the scrap basket, including the CS on which the image was printed.

     Challenges:

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR

Paperbabe

     Come play with us.  Our challenges run all month so you have plenty of time.  And don't forget our sister challenge, Show Us Your Pussy Cats, where all you need is to enter a creation with a feline featured.  Hmmm, I guess I could have used this card as a GDT for SUYP Cats, but Ike doesn't have a DT for that challenge.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sweetheart Bella Twins

      Today, I'm sharing another of my DT cards for Conie Fong, on which I've used two images from the Sweetheart Bella set.  There are 3 different image options in the set; one has Bella holding a heart that says 'love,' another with a blank heart, and the third with a heart that says 'hugs.'  I know you're going to think I used the Hugs and Love heart images, but actually, I used Love and the blank heart.

     I knew before I printed the images that I wanted to reverse one of them so that I could position them a bit apart but they would seemingly be facing different directions.  I wanted them to look more like twins than duplicates.  However, if I reversed either the Love or the Hugs image, then the word would print out backwards!   So, I reversed the blank heart image, then wrote in the word "hugs" myself.  I think I did a pretty good job of matching the handwriting on the word "love."  :-D

     I used ProMarkers to color the images, then cut them both with a single die from Cuts.  I mounted the image piece onto mirrored, red CS and trimmed the ends to fit.  That was mounted onto a pink card base and I sewed one of my tiny butterfly bows which I placed just above the image.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I left it rather CAS, with lots of open space.

     Challenges:

Butterfly  (Tickle me pink, Tan)

Colour Crazy

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspirations

Let's Craft & Create

Mod Squad

Paperbabe

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     If you haven't joined the Conie Fong FB page yet, you really should do it now.  There are 2 challenges there every month.  All you have to do is use a Conie Fong image and you can enter either the "Coloring Only" challenge or the one for finished projects, like cards or paper crafts.  You can win fabulously cute images.  Come play!  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thinking of You

      In the midst of all the Valentine themed cards I've been doing for the last couple of weeks, I took the time to do this one which features an image by Christine Karron, the January sponsor for the Thursday Twist challenge over on the Outlawz.  I have the honor of being a Guest Designer this month and it was through that GDT spot that I first learned of Christine Karron and her lovely art work.

     Thursday Twist challenges always have an "Anything goes" theme but they also give an optional twist which you can use if you want to enter twice.  The optional theme this fortnight is "Fantasy."

     I used ProMarkers and polychromos pencils to color the image, then cut it with a stitched die from Die-namics.  The black frame was cut with a QuicKutz die.  The background was done with watercolors.  I tried for an ombre effect but watercolor is often hard to control and I'm not sure I really got the proper definition between light and dark.  But I did love how it turned out so I ironed it dry (medium cotton setting) and used it for the background.  I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die, added a black mat, and sewed one of my signature, satin bows with a pearl for embellishment.

This is based on Sketch 221 at Sweet Sketch Weds,

turned a quarter turn.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspiration

Dies R Us

Get Creative

Outlawz Festive Fri

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Word Art Weds

Your Next Stamp

     See you at The Outlawz!   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Peony Valentine

      These peonies are from Beccy's Place and I think they made a perfect Valentine card, even though roses seem to be the favorite for a Valentine.  :-D   Colored with my ProMarkers, cut with a QuicKutz rectangle die, and the corners were done with a Fiskars punch.  The pink background dp is from a stack by C .C. Designs.  I used sheer ribbon and my bowmaker for the quad-loop bow.  The sentiment was printed and then cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

A Perfect Time

Crafty Hazelnut's

Crafts Galore Encore

Die Cut Divas

Dies R Us

LeAnn's World

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

     That's all for this post but I'll have another one late evening tonight so check it out or come by again in the morning.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tea Time Valentine

      A new week and a new challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies, where our theme is always "Anything Goes" except on the occasional 5th Monday in a month (which will be NEXT Monday, as a matter of fact!)  :-D  Our sponsor this week is Gerda Steiner Designs, and they generously supplied images for the DT to use.  I chose this darling little Mouse in a Cup and turned it into another Valentine card.

     I colored with my ProMarkers, then paper pieced the tea cup with a dp scrap.  I cut the image with a stitched die from Memory Box.  The dp for the background probably came from a Paper Shack stack.  I added the sheer ribbons in Thistle and Tan for a bit of contrast and also because they were colors, along with Tickle Me Pink, in the Butterfly Challenge. 

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Inspiration Station

Mod Squad

Paperbabe

Penny's Paper Crafty

Word Art Weds