Butterfly Kind of Day

      Is anyone else out there looking forward to spring?  Yesterday,  the groundhog said another 6 weeks of Winter but I'm thinking of spring and butterflies and buds on the trees.  This challenge inspiration photo from Inspiration Station pretty much says it all.  :-D

     A new challenge starts today and, as always, we give you a photo for inspiration.  You can do nearly anything but we do want to know how you were inspired.  Was it the butterfly?  The colors?  The season?  A memory?  Tell us and add your project to the link up for the entries.

     Here's my card ad I've already told you that the butterfly was my inspiration.  The image is a clip art photo, edited so that the background stayed pre-colored but the butterfly was gray scale, and I colored it with ProMarkers and gel pens.  I cut the image with a Spellbinders die, and added a frame made with pumpkin CS and trimmed to fit.  I layered that onto two pieces of kraft CS, added to diagonal corners top and bottom.  

     The plaid background dp came from a Recollections stack which has been in my stash almost forever!  I ran across the stack last month, hidden away in a craft room cabinet, and decided it was time to start using the papers before they got brittle and crumbled to bits.  :-D

     Challenges:

Lil Patch of ...

Love ...Pretty Papers

Neglected Stuff

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

Simon Says Stamp

Triple B

     Come play in our challenge, won't you?  We love being inspired by what you create and enter.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Paths, Trails, or Walkways

      Oh, my gosh!  The year is nearly over and today we start our last challenge of 2024 over at FarmQuest.  As usual, we have a theme - a specific one in addition to the "Farm or Country" which is part of every challenge we have - and today that theme is "Paths, Trails, or Walkways."  I suppose I could have searched for a winter pathway but they all seemed to be buried under snow.  :-D  also,  you should know that, starting with this challenge, we are going to a monthly challenge instead of the 7th and the 28th.  So, this challenge will run through January 27, 2025!

     This image is clip art, printed in grayscale, then colored with water colors and pencil.  I cut the image piece with a QuicKutz die, and inked the edges.  The background dp came from my scrap basket.  I used jute cord to wrap the card front and tie a bow.  

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Girlz Creative

     That's all I have for today.  I'm off for the final Christmas family dinner which we delayed until my granddaughter could get home from college in Texas.  I hope all of your holiday celebrations went well and that you're resting from all the hustle and bustle.  

   

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"V" for Vintage Victorian Christmas

      Today I'm sharing my "V" card for the 30 Days of Holidays over at Beccy's Place and it's another of my collaboration cards with my SIL.  She colored this clip art image and used watercolor pencils after I had printed it in gray scale.  She loves the coloring part but I haven't yet gotten her into the card making side, so she colors and I create the cards.

     For this card, my "V"s are: Vintage, Victorian, Verdigris green, Vermillion red on the berries, and white Velvet on one layer of the snowflake.  I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die, then did a white mat, inked with a vermillion marker on the edges.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and those edges were also inked.  

     The background is a scrap of dp from DCWV (!) and the snowflake was made with Cottage Cuts dies.  I put the two layers together and added a touch of glitter and a rhinestone for sparkle.  The final embellishment was the row of flat-back pearls.  A Victorian card seemed to call for sparkle and gems and a fair amount of embellishment.

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Digi Choosday

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Friday

Outlawz Thurs (Dickens' Christmas Carol)

Polkadoodles

Rudolph Days

Simon Says Stamp

     That's all for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Nutcracker Mouse

      I've fallen in love with another artist who draws the most adorable critters!   You can check them out on Etsy - Pawfect Art Creations.   So far I have three different sets of the cutest little mice and today's card features a Nutcracker Mouse, complete with his uniform, his sword, and the most elegant hat.  

     All the images come pre-colored but this one I printed in grayscale, then colored it with Sanjoki alcohol markers, and a bit of gold Stickles on his hat emblem.  I cut the image with a die from QuicKutz.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I used glittered CS for the card base and layered the image and the sentiment onto the card front.  Not counting the coloring time, it took me less than 10 minutes to make the card.

     Challenges:

12 Months...Christmas

A Perfect Time ...

Critter Crazy

Die Cut Divas

Kerst Christmas

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

SheepSki Designs

     That's all I have for today but I'll be back later this afternoon or maybe tomorrow with another one for Beccy's Place and the 30 Days of Holidays.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie