Winter Mice for the Letter "E"

     Today's card is going to be entered for Day 5 in the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place so we're using the letter "E" as the theme.  My "E"s are: Embossing, Ecru (the stars), & Embellishments. (and a little Eeek for all of you who are afraid of mice!)

     I'm also playing again in the challenge over at Conjuror of Dreams and this month their optional theme is "Winter Critters."  The image I used is from Conjuror of Dreams and I adore these little mice.  I just know they are perched on that log, singing Christmas Carols from their tiny hearts.

     The image and its white frame were die cut with dies from QuicKutz and Tonic Studios.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die. I embossed the gray CS background, using my 'Linen' EF.   I found a strip of red dp in the scrap basket and added it to the left side, then put the angels and snowflake embellishments along the left side.

     Challenges:

4 Season

Digi Choosday

Make My Monday

Peace on Earth

Penny's P-C

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Laundry Day

      Today we're starting a new challenge at FarmQuest, and our theme is "Laundry or Ironing."  Remember, we always want to see an underlying theme of farm or country in addition to our chosen theme for that challenge.  I used one of my favorite ever House Mouse stamps with the adorable mice clambering over the outdoor clothes line (perhaps in a game of hide and seek?)  

     Do you remember the days when everyone hung clothes on a line?  People who lived in climes where there's lots of winter rain or snow had a problem getting clothes to dry but with the advent of indoor clothes dryers, that problem was resolved.  As dryers took over in every household, we lost the magic of the fresh smell of clothesline-dried sheets, towels, and jeans.  :-D

     I used an ice gray ink pad to stamp the image because it gives fainter lines (an illusion of  'no line'), then I colored the image with my Sanjoki markers.  I cut the image with a QuicKutz die and cut the dry-embossed (Linen EF), brown CS frame with a die one size larger.  The wood grain paper is from a Recollections stack.

     Challenges:

Addicted to CAS

Creative Fingers

Dragonfly Dreams

Gem of a Challenge

Inkspirational

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Friday

Polkadoodles

     Hope to see you playing along in our challenge this fortnight.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Holly Jolly Mouse

      I have a craft fair coming up just a few days before Thanksgiving in November and I've been working on lots of extra Christmas and Thanksgiving cards.  

     This is a digital coloring book image which I reduced in size to fit an A2 card.  I used my polychromos colored pencils to color that sweet mouse, then cut him with a QuicKutz die.  I photographed the image after I colored him and printed 6 of them so that I could make a half dozen, duplicate cards which will be a set of Christmas cards.  They are all the same but for the background color.  I used different sparkly papers on each one (this blue, plus red, green, white, silver, and gold) so there is some variety, even though the image looks exactly the same on each one. The sentiment was printed and fussy cut.  The background is glitter paper from DCWV.  Fast and easy with no embellishment!

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Puddle Jumping

      A new challenge is starting over at FarmQuest and our theme this time is "Rain Gear."  Of course, it must always have that farm/country feel to it.  As soon as I read the theme, I knew it was time to dig out one of my House Mouse stamps.  I adore this stamp and will find any excuse to use it, including "Don't rain on my parade" days.  :-D

     This time, I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a stitched die from Cuts.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The sky blue CS I used for the background was embossed with my Linen folder before attaching it to the card front, just for a touch of texture.   I grabbed one of my white, hand-sewn, signature bows from the stash, 'dyed' it with a marker, and added a sequin before gluing it to the card.

     Pretty CAS, plus nice and flat for mailing.

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Can You Handle ...

Cutie Pie

Digi Choosday

House Mouse

I Love Markers

Pammie's IP

Paper Shelter

Polkadoodles

Simon Says (Rainy Days and Mondays)

     That's it for FarmQuest this fortnight.  Come play with us, won't you?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Dandelion Wishes

      A new challenge starts today over at FarmQuest and our theme is "Dandelions" along with our standard 'Something Farm/Country.'  Very simple this fortnight and I'm sure you have some kind of dandelion image in your vast collection of stamps.  :-D  So why not whip up something and enter it into our challenge?

     I chose a House Mouse stamp from my rather large collection of those, and stamped it using a stone gray ink pad from Tim Holtz.  I colored it with ProMarkers and cut it with a simple rectangle die from QuicKutz.  I found a scrap of paper in the basket and used a larger die from that same set to cut a frame for the image.  The other two paper layers in the background are also pieces from the scrap basket and I'm guessing they were left over from St. Patrick's cards done sometime in the past year or two.

     I printed and cut the sentiment with the smallest QuicKutz rectangle die from the set.  Lot of layers of paper but pretty simple in design and very flat for easy mailing.

 

     Challenges:

Creative Knockouts

Cutie Pie

Dream Valley

House Mouse

Jan's Digi Stamps

Pammie's IP

Paper Funday

Passion for Markers

     Please come play along with us.  This challenge will last until May 13 so you have plenty of time.  We love being inspired by you!   

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Daisy Mouse

      Today I'm sharing a new image from Conie Fong, called "Daisy Mouse" and the set also contains a darling little hamster named "Hailey Hamster."   The set has an extra image of a single daisy, which I merged at the bottom of the image I used here.  

     Remember, we have challenges each month on our Facebook page, and you can enter using any Conie Fong image.  You could be the winner and you'd win more Conie Fong images!

     I colored Daisy with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a rectangle doe from QuicKutz.  I used a Fiskars punch to shape the corners, and I inked the edges of the image and the sentiment (which was fussy cut with scissors) with ProMarkers.  The background was made using a scrap of very old paper from the basket on my desk.  I added two small, mulberry paper, flowers (from Petaloo) with gems as embellishments, and they are from my stash (at least 5 years old!)

     Challenges:

2 Sisters on the ...

Ally's Angels

Crafter's Cafe

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Thurs

Star Stampz

     Come play with us this month.  We'd love to see what you create!  Don't have a Conie Fong image for your entry?  Grab a freebie from the FB site and get going.  Or check out what's new and on sale at the Etsy store.  You'll fall in love for an exceptionally great price.  :-D

 

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Complete Set

Love Story Mice

      Is this this most adorable Penny Black stamp ever?  I think it's precious and can see such a variety of uses for it.  Today, it serves as another Valentine.

     Colored with water color paints, then cut with a QuicKutz die, the image was layered onto a background made from paper and CS scraps.  The flower with the gem is one from Petaloo.  The sentiment was printed and cut with another QuicKutz die.

     Challenges:

Dare 2B Artzy

Di's Digi Designs

Dragonfly Dreams

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Penny Black Sat.

There's a Stamp ...

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Take a Peek !

      Here it is, a New Year, and I wish you health, wealth, and happiness throughout 2023!  

      At QKR Stampede, we're starting another challenge today and it will run through the 14th of the month.  We have two challenges per month and they always start on the 1st and the 15th of each month.  Our theme is always Anything Goes and we have 2 prizes each month; one for those who use a QKR Stampede (or Eureka Stamps) image and another for those using an image from another company.

     My first DT card is for a birthday, and this year I'm determined to have an entire year's worth of birthday cards completed for family and close friends before the first birthdays fall in February.  We'll see how that goes.  In any case, here's my first one using a sentiment image from QKR Stampede called "Take a Peek."

     I used ProMarkers and gel pens to color the sentiment piece then cut it with a Spellbinders rectangle die.  I think that set of rectangle dies were the very first dies I ever purchased and they certainly have cut their share of paper and card stock.  The cat was cut with a die from Poppy Stamps, and the mice were cut with a Gina Marie die.  The papers were scraps from the basket which sits on my desk, collecting left overs.

     Challenges:

     I hope you'll come and play with us in this challenge.  And, if you played with us in December, be sure to check out the new challenge post to see if  you're on of our winners or Top 5 DT favorites.  Happy Crafting.   NanaConnie

Halloween Spooks?

      These two little Halloween critters (from Mariola Budek) don't look very spooky but they are darling, so who could resist them?  This card will go to my youngest great-granddaughter this year, her first Halloween card from Nana.  :-D

     This is one of her images which isn't done in grayscale so I had to do my own shading and highlights.  I colored the image with a combination of  ProMarkers and water colors, then used a QuicKutz die to cut the rectangle.  The corners were done with a Fiskars punch.  

     The triangle in the lower, left corner came from a scrap of Making Memories dp, and the rust CS for the card front was in my stash.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Digi Choosday

Double Trouble

Dream Valley

Get Creative

I Love ProMarkers

Jan's Digi Stamps

Pammie's

Simon Says Stamp

SUYP Cats

TTCRD

     I hope you're as charmed with Mariola Budek's art and images as I am.  I find them absolutely adorable and her sweet critters always steal my heart.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Decoration Day

      When I was a child, my mother always talked about "Decoration Day" in the same tones one used to say "Valentines" or "Fourth of July."  I actually thought there was a national holiday called "Decoration Day."  Once I attained adulthood and she was no longer responsible for birthday celebrations for her children, I learned that "Decoration Day" meant the day she set aside to bake and decorate the birthday cakes for the celebrations.  lol

     This image from House Mouse brings back those childhood memories.  I used ProMarkers on the image, then cut it with a Tonic Studios die.  The two layers of dp scraps were also cut with dies from Tonic Studios.  The dark, sparkly background was done using DCWV card stock on the front before adding the 3 layers in the image piece and the additional 2 layers in the sentiment piece.  I added a hand-tied, gingham bow as the final touch.

     One more card for the birthday card stash which will get used for a grandchild this fall.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Happy Little Stampers

I Love ProMarkers

Outlawz Greetings

PIP

Rabisco

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Stealing Santa's Cookies

      In my opinion, House Mouse meeses can do no wrong but when it comes to these three cookies thieves, Santa may not agree with me!  lol  Colored with ProMarkers, cut with a QuicKutz die, and framed with glitter CS (also cut with a QuicKutz die.)  The tree is made using a Dee's Distinctively die.  The snow was add to the tree with a white gel pen.

     Challenges:

Christmas ... Cuties

Colouring in Scrapland

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Double Trouble 

Dream Valley

House Mouse - (Edited to add the link here as requested by a HM DT member, even though it's in the first sentence of the post.  :-D) 

Ike's World

Outlawz Greetings

Passion for Markers

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Mousers (Meow-sers) on the Hunt

      When I saw these two adorable felines over at Kinda Cute, this card idea popped into my head instantly!  So I decided to use them for the monthly progressive challenge on their FB page.  :-D

     I colored them with my ProMarkers and cut the image with a die from Dare 2B Artzy.  I cut another circle with a smaller die from that same set and added the two, tiny, mice cut with Gina Marie dies.  The background dp was a left over from a large piece of scrapbook paper which has been in my stash for longer than I can remember and it was definitely time to use it.  I printed and then cut the sentiment with an Avery Elle die.

     What looks like a strip of polka dot ribbon is actually washi tape, but I used 1/16" satin ribbon to tie the double bow.

     Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Cute Card Thurs

Dare 2B Artzy

I love ProMarkers

Outlawz Greetings

Passion for Markers

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Scrapping4Fun

SUYP Cats

     That's all for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Beach Lemonade

      It's very likely that the area where I live will reach 100 degrees this week and it's only the first third of May, for Heaven's sake!  We always get hot, hot, HOT! weather during our summer months, usually several days in a row of over 100 degrees and when that happens I either stay inside in the craft room air conditioning or I head out for the beach.  I guess this week is perfect for this card I made over the weekend.  These House Mouse mousies have the right idea but they really need to watch that sunburn.  :-D

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Die-namics stitched dies

Sentiment printed & cut with Die-namics

Scraps used for mats & frame

Sentiment printed on a scrap

     Challenges:

Crafty Creations

Get Creative

House Mouse

LeAnn's World

Let's Craft & Create

Outlawz Greetings

Paper Shelter

TTCRD

Word Art Weds

     I hope your weather is more pleasant than ours.  If it's not, stay inside and Happy Crafting.  :-D  NanaConnie

Happy Mistletoe

      I know there's a specific day for celebrating Christmas, and for those of us in Canada and the US, Thanksgiving Day (even though we do that on two different days), and even your birthday whenever it rolls around, but I think we should recognize and celebrate as many days of "Happy Mistletoe" as possible throughout the holiday season.   It won't be as much fun kissing through our Covid-9 masks but...  Maybe we could turn it into an entire Festival so it can be celebrated in upcoming years when we aren't in the middle of a pandemic.  :-D

     This card uses a fun image from Bugaboo Stamps which I colored last year and never used so it's definitely time now.  It was safely tucked away in the stash of Christmas images, along with about 6 others all colored and waiting.

I based this on the sketch from Sketch Saturday

although I had to adjust the exact placement

because of using up the negative die cut snowflake.

I also used colors from the bottom row at CMH Color Dare.

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w QuicKutz die

Snowflake is a negative cut w Spellbinders die

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Silver glitter added to make the snowflake

Silver ribbon and red ribbon were both scraps

     Challenges:

Catch the Bug

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Hazelnut's

Di's Digi Designs

Outlawz Festive Fri

Passion for ProMarkers

Polkadoodles

Time Out

     Happy Crafting until tomorrow.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Feast at QKR Stampede

      This is my second post for today so if you missed the first one, scroll down one post.  We're starting a new post at QKR Stampede today and I wanted to celebrate a Thanksgiving feast (on paper, at least, in case we don't get to have a family celebration this year.)  

      I used a combination of images:  the turkey is "Thanksgiving Feast" and the two mice are "Mouse 17802" and "Mouse 17803."  I thought having the two little mice cooking and serving the turkey his dinner would be cute but I had no idea I'd love the finished card as much as I do.  :-D  

     And to think it's made almost entirely of scrap bits and bobs!

Colored w ProMarkers

All images cut w Sizzix dies

All papers are scraps 

    & mice were printed on scrap CS

Hand-tied grosgrain bow (scrap ribbon)

Leaf cut from fabric scrap

Glitter bits added to leaf edge

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Di's Digi Designs

House that Stamps Built

Inspired By

Lemon Shortbread

Papercraft

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Pixie's Snippets

Scrapping4Fun

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Generous Robin

     This is one of the funniest House Mouse stamps I own and I haven't used it in a couple of years, at least.  The whole idea of  very generous robin feeding baby mice is fun but add the factor of  "generous" baby mouse passing the food offer on to one of his brothers brings on pure laughter!

     I'm sending this to one of my grandsons who has two brothers.  I think he'll get a real kick out of it.  :-D

Colored w/ ProMarkers & gel pens
Cut with Tonic Studios die
Ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Gingham bow, hand-tied
Rhinestones

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Outlawz Festive Fri
Paperbabe
Paperminutes
Simon Says Stamp &...
TTCRD

     The weekend is right around the corner and I'm going to be focusing on all my First of the Month DT and Coordinator obligations because, believe it or not, September is almost here.  Then, next weekend is Labor Day here in the USA and by that time, all the rush will be behind me and I can just play and craft and visit my favorite blogs (something I haven't had time to do for a couple of weeks and I apologize.)

     In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Mousie Kind of Love

     I adore House Mouse stamps but have very few which work as Valentine images.  This one, however, brings back childhood memories of candy hearts with words on them and how we looked forward to the Valentine card exchange in our classrooms.  :-D  Do kids even do that any more?

I pulled color and hearts inspiration from 

this photo at Passion for ProMarkers.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with QuicKutz rectangle die
CAS design
Card front is embossed with "Linen" folder
Hand tied bow with sequin

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
Coloring in Scrapland
Cutie Pie
Digi Choosday
Dream Valley
Get Creative
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Cuddle Kind of Love

     Today is a good day for cuddling at my house.  The weather is chilly, my fur babies think I should be curled up in bed so that they can pile on top of me or crawl under the covers and plaster themselves against my back for warmth.  They didn't think much of my taking time to sit at the craft table and make this Valentine salute to love in the rarest of forms.  :-D

     The stamp is from House Mouse.  HM images always make me smile and this one is no exception.  I apologize that the image isn't spectacularly clear but I stamped it with Light Coffee ink so that the design would look almost as though it had no outlines but I think my coloring just didn't give enough definition.  None-the-less, I submit this for your enjoyment.

Coloring w/ ProMarkers and chalks
Die cut green CS is a snippet cut with Sue Wilson die
Burlap fabric pieces are left over scraps
Mulberry paper flower, 'dyed' with ProMarkers
Sentiment printed and cut w/ Avery Elle die

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
Digi Choosday
Double Trouble
Dragonfly Dreams
Incy Wincy
Pixie's Snippets
Simon Says Stamp & Show
SUYP Cats
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Saturday Night Cat Bath

     We've all heard of the Saturday night bath and we've all heard of a cat bath but this is a Saturday Night Cat Bath!  Come to think of it, this may actually be an annual, autumn bath!  Only in House Mouse land.  lol

I took colors from the challenge at Scribbles Designs.

ProMarkers for coloring
Die-versions stitched die
Sheer, hand-tied bow

     Challenges:
Bastel-Traum
Coloring in Scrapland
Creatalicious
Creative Moments
Die Cut Divas
House Mouse
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
World Wide Open DT

     That's it for today.  Unfortunately, the first cold germ of the season has found me and my poor sinuses are so stuffed, I can hardy breath.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get my posts done for Halloween and for Friday when the first of the month rolls around.  Can you believe I'll have 5 posts that day?   Be sure to come see them all.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Summer of Reading

     I have a dear friend, a retired teacher, who spends her summers as a volunteer working with 1st and 2nd grade school kids, reading stories to them and encouraging them to explore the fun and mystery of books on their own.  Her birthday is next week and I did this card for her as a birthday present.

     The image is from Di's Digi Designs.

I chose 3 of the colors from Coloring in Scrapland - green, blue & yellow.

Colored w/ ProMarkers
Cut and matted with dies from Spellbinders
Stitched ribbon from Crafty Ribbons
Signature hand-sewn bow w/ pearl

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Allsorts
Angie's Digital Stamps
Brown Sugar
Crafting from the Heart
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz SAR
TTCRD

     I'm posting this early instead of waiting until the witching hour because I have someone here who can link up to all the challenges and that means I can stay away from the keyboard.  I'm still having serious shoulder problems when I try to type.  Coloring and crafting are getting better but there's something about the position in which I hold my shoulder when I'm at the keyboard that aggravates my shoulder injury.

     Happy crafting.  NanaConnie