Franky's Girl - Creepin' it Real with Mo Manning

During the day, I don't believe in ghosts. 

At night, I'm a little more open-minded.

Unknown

Mo Manning digital image, clip art background, copics, rhinestones,
gold leafing pen, Cricut cutting and writing features

Hey there,

Who knew coloring green skin with copics would be so fun!  I was a little apprehensive when I undertook the challenge, but I think I'll be looking for more monster and zombie flesh to color in the future.  This cute Mo Manning "Frank's Girl" image was a delight to color and embellish.  Halloween images are definitely among of my faves.

My colorful background is from  this Halloween scene clip art shop from Etsy.   The scenes come in both pre-colored and line drawing images.  Both types leave oodles of creative options.  On this card, I chose to add some subtle gold accents to the pre-colored background and let my copic colored focal image take center stage.

After much consideration, I decided my stylish girl needed a little bling, so I added some rhinestone earrings and studded trim for her vest.  I also added some pretty iridescent gems to the sentiment.  I edged the sentiment and background panel with a gold leafing pen. Also, hiding in this picture are some subtle tiny black gems on her boot buckles.  They look really glamorous in person!

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and be creepy...but not too much.
Nancy

Playing along with:
        The Paper Shelter - Challenge #398
        Through the Craft Room Door - Week starting September 17th
        Crafts Galore Encore - Challenge #67
        Sweet Stampers Challenge Blog - Challenge #36
        A Gem of a Challenge - Week 18
        The Creative Crafters - Challenge #20
        Di's Digi Challenge - Hand Colored Image Challenge
        Crafty Friends - Challenge 118 

Safari Z-Fold Card - Elizabeth Craft Jeep and Animal Dies

 Only those who will risk going too far 

can possibly find out how far one can go. 

T.S Eliot

Elizabeth Craft animals and jeep dies,  Cricut Design Studio sun, grass, tree and sentiment, Copics,
craft foam, black Nuvo drops for eyes, gold metallic gems for headlights

Hey there,

I finished these darling Elizabeth Crafts jungle animals and jeep  months ago and they  have been living on my craft table for weeks,  patiently waiting for an exotic place to live.  Since my husband and I love travel so much, and my husband's fondest dream is to go on an African safari, I thought my critters were perfect for a fun birthday z-fold box card. Too youthful? Nah, my husband has the youngest spirit I know.

He is quite knowledgeable about different countries and their characteristics, as was evidenced recently when he randomly informed me of the elevation of Kabul while we were watching TV.  So I thought I'd better find an Acacia tree for my African safari scene instead of jungle palm trees.  I think my monkey might be visiting his friends in Africa.  I happily found something akin to an Acadia tree in Cricut Design Space and considered my habitat "close enough."

My critters  were die cut from white card stock, with some layers additionally cut from craft foam to make them 3-D.  I colored the layers with copics...so much easier than trying to cut and glue tiny pieces with different colored cardstock!  I colored my zebra stripes right on my zebra rather than glue tiny pieces. Easy peasy.  I had a z-fold card template already created  in Cricut Design Space and all I had to do was find sun and grass images for my scene.  I typed, sized and printed out the sentiment in Design Space.  Sometimes play dates with my Cricut can make things infinitely less complicated!

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and explore something new.
Nancy

   
Playing along with:
        Always Fun Challenges
        Path of Positivity
        a2z Scrapbooking September 2019 Challenge
        2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge #30
        Crafty Animals Challenge #30
        Creative Craft Cottage Challenge #122
        QKR Stampede Challenge #362
        Cute Card Thursday Challenge 598
        Through the Purple Haze Challenge #159

A Denmark Happy Birthday - Paper Shelter Valkyrie

I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy, but,

 like everybody else, it must be in my own way.  

Jane Austin - Pride and Prejudice

Paper Shelter digi, copic markers, Spellbinders frame die, grass die, gold card stock,
green cardstock, yellow Nuvo drops, white gel pen, butterfly die, gold adhesive beads,

Hey friends, 

I never would have imagined I would have a family member celebrating her birthday in dazzling Denmark, but my daughter is now a very contented Copenhagen habitant.  I visited there even before she fell in love with this magical city and I can see why the peaceful, relaxed lifestyle appeals to her.  My personality needs a bit more drama,  so I'm very happy with wild and colorful California, but I look forward to visiting her new home often. 

Imagine my delight when I found this cute little Valkyrie image in the Paper Shelter digi shop. She's a little cutsy to be an imposing viking, but that's what makes her so charming, even for my adult recipient. What's not to love about a darling little Norse lady all ready to kick some butt on the battlefield.  Don't google Valkyrie. It's very troubling.  However, my daughter is all about women's rights and this girlfriend looks pretty self assured to me.

One of the reasons I love Paper Shelter images is they provide background options with their images.  I printed this background on my printer and added some die cut grass to ground my image.  I adorned the centers of my flowers with Nuvo drops and white gel pen dots.  My copic-colored image is popped up on my background with mounting tape.  I created the gold frame by combining two nesting frame dies to fit my 5 x 7 card.

My daughter celebrated her birthday in August and will be visiting me this month for another celebration.  I can't wait to present to her this very custom-themed tribute to Denmark.  

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and live the life you've imagined. 

Nancy

Playing along with:

        Crafty Sentiments Designs Challenge - Anything Goes

        Digi Choosday Craft Challenge - Week 36

        Through the Craft Room Door - Week of September 3

        Colour Crazy Challenge - Week 34

        Colourific Challenge Corner - Challenge #4    

        Creative Fingers Challenge #169

        Try it on Tuesday - All Things Children

        DL.Art September 2019 Challenge

  

Fabulous Flamingo with Flair - Dreaming Tree SVG

Stand tall and be fabulous! 

Dreaming Tree svg, glitter gold and pink card stock, pink iridescent sequins, pearls,
Elizabeth Crafts iridescent card stock for flowers, flower die, sentiment stamp, gold leafing pen  

Hey friends, 

I can't believe this darling flamingo svg was FREE in the Dreaming Tree SVG shop.  I really love all their intricate designs and have purchased several, but they also have some very beautiful ones for no charge.  I guess they know once we get in there we will want to buy everything we see!  I'm not a sales rep for their products, just a devoted admirer and customer. Their cuts are so detailed and well designed, I don't need to do much to embellish them.  But, of course, we all have to make our creations our own, so I decided to make my graceful flamingo quite girlie. I adorned her with a pearl necklace and some sparkly pink sequined wing feathers. I suppressed my nail polish urge as a bit over the top, but I still think she would look lovely with a fancy manicure.  

This shaped card left me with some real estate to embellish on the inside panel so I popped up some pretty pink iridescent flowers hanging from the tree branch in the corner.  I used pink and blue glitter paper for my image cut outs to add some additional subtle glitz.  Nothing beats a fancy flamingo with flair except maybe five of them!  Five fancy flamingos with flair...from Florida.  Okay, I digress.  My sentiment had to be long and narrow to fit behind the image without showing on the front.  I thought this sentiment was perfect, but I had to google flamingos to make sure they fly.  They certainly do, which makes them even more fascinating. Five FASCINATING FLYING flamingos with flair from Florida.  I need a nap.

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and fly like the fabulous flamingo you are!
Nancy

Playing along with:
        Creativ Fusion Challenge #13
        Path of Positivity Challenge #71
        Patties Creations Design Challenge #161
        Cardz 4 Galz
        Time Out Challenge #142
        Creations in Pink Challenge #13
        Sparkles Monthly Challenge #119
        Crafting Happiness Challenge #11

Anna Griffin Layered Cake - Jacket Card Die

One cannot have too large a party.

 Jane Austen - Emma

Anna Griffin die cut, designer paper, die cut flowers, pearls, rhinestones, beads.
gold leafing pen (candles)

Hey friends, 

If you asked me,  I would swear I never watch HSN, but if I'm honest, I do take a peak at their Craft Event days if I get a chance.  I can't resist checking out the new dies and stamps from Crafter's Companion and Anna Griffin.  The past couple of times I've watched, some really impressive large Anna Griffin dies have caught my eye.  I saw these Cake and Damask Jacket Card Dies and they called to me.  Well, we can't have too many birthday cards in our stash, can we?

The clever thing about this cake die is it cuts a scored wrap-around 5 x 7  base.  The insert card looks beautiful  loosely attached with a fancy ribbon, but I chose to glue the edge to my card panel to make it more secure. Wouldn't this die make some very fancy and elegant wedding invitations?

Since I was using a 12 x 12 paper pad to cut my cake layers, I decided to go for it and make several assorted cards for my stash.  I adorned my dazzling cakes with coordinating small handmade flowers, rhinestones, pearls and beads. I added one small gold layered die cut flower near the top of my cake.  I resisted the urge to add flowers everywhere like an old fashioned wedding cake because I wanted this cake to be more modern.  Okay, it's still a little fussy, but it's my brand of clean and simple. 

I had to use my Big Shot Pro die cutting machine to accommodate the large die, but it was worth it to get an A7 size card. 

I experimented with creating a shaped card by cutting the inside panel to match the cake.  It turned out to be a lot of work and didn't look as clean and precise as I like.  It's a fun option for those who don't mind some tedious fussy cutting. There must be a simpler way to do it, but I'll save that for my next set of cards. 

Thanks for visiting.

Go forth and sneak a peak at HSN when no one's looking.

Nancy 

Playing along with:

        Through the Craft Room Door - Challenge 20th August

        Get Creativve Challenge #83

        Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Challenge 112

        The Corrosive Challenge #8

        The Crafter's Castle - Challenge #20

        Creative Fingers Challenge 169

        Just Add Ink Challenge #470

        QKR Stampede - Challenge #359

        A Bit More Time to Craft - Challenge #98

        Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #66

Sending Hugs - Conie Fong Moonflower Lullaby Digi

Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does.
William James

Copic makers, Spellbinders frame, Sizzix sentiment stamp and die, white gel pen,
white glitter card stock, gold matte card stock, magenta card stock

Hey friends,

One of the fringe benefits of being a card maker is the pleasure of sending hugs by snail mail to anyone I want, any time I want, and imagining  they can actually feel my handmade love radiating from the envelope.  I thought this hugably adorable Conie Fong image was perfect to carry my message of affection.

My image is mounted on a square Spellbinders frame with some pretty heart cutouts in the design and, even though most of them are hidden,  this glittery white frame adds some shine to my moonflower lady.  I used matte gold card stock for the narrow frames around my images  instead of my usual glossy gold card stock and I like the subtle sheen.  I die cut a smaller matching frame and oval  out of white craft foam to mount my layers for dimension. I've been choosing this over pop dots lately because it keeps my card smooth for mailing and it looks a little more polished.

The small flower centers are embellished with Elizabeth Crafts peel off glitter dots.  I love these so much, but often forget to use them.  They are subtle, but add just the right pop of sparkle. I added dots to my flowers with a white gel pen, attached some pretty dimensional heart stickers to the sentiment and now I'm ready to post my handcrafted happy mail.

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and post some handmade hugs.
Nancy

Playing along with:
        Brown Sugar Challenge #292
        Polkadoodle Challenge Wk 32
        Simply Create Too Challenge #152
        Craft Rocket Challenge #62
        Crafting With an Attitude Challenge #54
        Crafty Creations Challenge #395
        Creative Moments #174
        Penny's Challenge #442

Luna Whispering Digi in Copics - Ching Chou Kuik

There is more to life than increasing its speed.

Mahatma Gandhi

Hey friends,

I originally colored this lovely Ching Chou Kuik greyscale digi image for one of my beloved  Kit and Clowder online classes, but even with Alyce Keegan's expert guidance, I couldn't seem to get Luna's rainbow hair right.  I thought this image was so gorgeous, I couldn't give up so easily.  The lengthy saga of my second attempt to tackle this image borders on the heroic.  I decided to forgo the original rainbow hair and go for these "understated" aqua tresses so I could  practice my tiny hair stokes with my copics.    I won't relate all the gruesome details but my color palette kept getting darker with each "fix" and the pre-shaded background on this digi turned into a muddy mish mash.  The butterfly looked way too sad and heavy to fly.

Sometimes my tenaciousness can be a gift, especially when all hope is lost. I couldn't bare to waste all the time I had spent coloring Luna, and I realized if I fussy cut her, I could add a brighter, prettier dp background behind her.  I also cut out the butterfly, colored it with lighter colors to match  my background and popped it up over my original sad one.

I wish I had taken a picture of my original struggle to document how much happier this card is than my  "Luna Stuck in the Mud" version.  The color scheme is a lot prettier and brighter and I like the white details in the background.  I love using designer papers for backgrounds because all the hard work is done, the variety is endless and I can always find something I like to fancy up my artwork. I added some details with gold and white gel pens and some gold leafing around the main panel.  Yippee...another epic save.

Thanks for visiting.
Go forth and rescue a card.
Nancy

Playing along with:
        Craft Rocket Challenge #62
        Crafting with an Attitude Challenge #54
        Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #352
        Crafting by Designs August Challenge
        Crafty Hazelnuts August Challenge
        Crafty Creations Challenge #395
        Creative Moments Challenge #173
        Little Red Wagon Challenge #508