A Steampunk Mother's Day at Kenny K's Krafty Krew

Hi, everybody! I know it's been a couple of weeks since I posted anything here. I have been extremely busy at work and just have not had the energy to do much crafting in the evenings. In fact, sometimes, I'm so tired when I get home that I am in bed by 8 PM!! Anyone who knows me very well, knows that I am a night owl by nature so going to bed that early is, indeed, a rare thing for me. It has become more routine lately, however.

Well, today is the start of a brand new challenge at Kenny K's Krafty Krew and it's Team A's turn to host. The theme this week really has nothing whatsoever to do with Mother's Day and when you see my card, you'll see that it certainly played no part in my own creative processes this time!

Our sponsors this week are Kenny K Rubber Stamps and Marianne Design so you'll not want to miss this challenge! As mentioned, the theme this week although not related to Mom's special day, is nonetheless a fun one. We're doing Steampunk this week!! I know a lot of you love that style so we hope to see lots of awesome entries this time.

Not only is my card not related to Mother's Day (my own mom passed on several years ago), it also is a bit unusual for this time of year. I really don't care much for the summer months as it gets very hot and humid in Southeast Texas so I decided to make something to remind me of the more pleasant temperatures of winters here. I used Helga Frost of Kenny's Steampunk Burlesque collection as the focal point for my card and my snowflakes purposely look rather like gears to go along with the Steampunk theme. I used those cute screw head brads again to give them more of a metallic look and I even added a little spinner to one of them. So without further delay, here is the lovely Helga Frost.

Yeppers! A Christmas card in May! I used silver gel pen under my Aqua Copic marker to give parts of Helga's costume a metallic quality. 

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

TBD

If you have a few minutes to spare, please stop by the Krafty Krew blog to see the awesome projects created by my talented teammates! We would love to have you participate as well. Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day and a great week as well. Until next time...

Happy crafting! 

Anniebee

A New Challenge at Kenny K's Krafy Krew

Gosh! It's Sunday again already? I just don't know where this week has gone, much less this year! It has really flown by that's for sure. Winter keeps coming and going around here and I understand it's supposed to be back some time Monday. I think it was about 85 degrees here today and my air conditioner kept cutting on and off. I have spent the entirity of the past 2 days in my craft room, working on a couple of design team projects, 2 commissioned cards and a birthday card.  I still have one more card and another design team project to work on today.  I'm trying to get them finished up so I can concentrate some time on Christmas gifts I need to make. Good thing I work well under pressure!

Sooo... today is the start of a brand new challenge at Kenny K's Krafty Krew and this time the theme is "Silver and White". This really was a big challenge for me as I usually use several colors in my projects and although I love this combination (if you can call it that), I had to reign in my desire to "color it up"! LOL I think I did pretty well but I'll let you decide for yourselves. But first, I need to get some challenge details out of the way.

This weeks first sponsor is Kenny K's Downloads

The prize from Kenny is the winner's choice of 5 digi's.

And our second sponsor is 

For more information on new releases from 
Marianne Design please follow them on

Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/mariannedesignbv

Twitter! https://twitter.com/#!/mariannedesign

Now, for my card.

This divine creature is called "Mae Western" and she is very fun to color. She is available for purchase here. I used a pearlized white embossed paper for the background and an EK Success border punch to make the snowflakes at the bottom.

I glittered Mae's hat, scarf and top with Diamond Dust glitter and used metallic silver gel pen to color the silver accents on her costume.

 The scalloped circle was made with a Nestie, outlined in silver gel pen and the rhinestones were glued on one at a time. 

The white poinsettias are from Petaloo and the silver ribbon came from Michael's dollar bin. The glittery snowflake is a sticker that I got from Hobby Lobby about 3 years ago. I don't know if they still carry them but I'd like to have several more packages of them.  I seem to use them on my cards every year and I don't have many left now.

 Above is a close up showing all of Mae's voluptuous details. What I'd give to have a body like this gal! LOL!

Don't you love her silver and white platform cowboy boots? I hope you'll take a few minutes to drop by the Krafty Krew site to see what my teammates have done to inspire you. We'd love to have you join us in this challenge as well.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Color Me Creative Classroom Copic Challenge #58 - Metallic Gleam

Here Come The Boys #42- Anything Goes 

That's all I have for you today but I'll be back soon with a bunch of new cards and a couple of other projects. I hope you're all getting ready for the holiday as it will be here before we know it. Have a wonderful day, a productive week and until next time...

Happy crafting!

Anniebee

A Blue and Silver Christmas

Hello! It's hump day and I have a new card for you that I made for a challenge hosted by Bearly Mine Designs. The theme this time is blue and silver. I actually made this little gem about 3 weeks ago but have never gotten around to posting it here so this is the perfect opportunity.  I'm going to keep this post short and sweet as I have some pressing matters to attend to today so without further delay, here is my card using Kenny K's sassy little "Mistletoe" digi.

As many of you are aware, I design for WOW! Embossing Powders so I used lots of their products on this card. The background was created with their beautiful "Brocade" clear stamp and their Metallic Silver Ultra High Embossing Powder. This stamp is one of my favorites and is very versatile for backgrounds. 

I used their Bodacious Blue embossing powder for the sentiment. It's a glittery powder and works very well for finely detailed sentiments.

If you click on the photos, you may be able to see the Clear Ultra Shimmer powder I used on the fur trimming on Mistletoe's cute outfit. It has just the perfect amount of sparkle and lets the color underneath show through.

 

I also used the Metallic Silver Ultra High and Bodacious Blue on the inside of the card. You can see the fine detail of the stamp in this shot. It really is gorgeous and Wow's powders work so well on fine lines and details as you can tell. If you have never tried WOW! stamps and embossing powders, you don't know what you're missing.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine Challenge #63 - Blues and Silver

So that's it for today, folks! I'll be back tomorrow with another new card using a Mo Manning image. I think you'll enjoy it because it's a little different for me. I really like it though! So until then...

Happy crafting!

Anniebee

A right jolly old elf...

This is a late post for a Sunday night. I have spent the day shopping and doing laundry and I am worn out  but I didn't want to start off another week without a new post. Here's another Christmas card to encourage you to finish up those last minute cards you always need to have on hand for unexpected giving.  I will make my rounds to family and friends this week, delivering my special handmade cards in person.  It saves on stamps and I love to see the looks on the recipients' faces when they open them.

Here again, I have used an image by Phee McFaddell, one of my favorite illustrators.  It is one of my favorites of all her Christmas images.  Of course, I colored it with Copics in rich tones of evergreen, burgundy and gold, the traditional colors of the holiday season.

And now, I have a treat for you. In the event that you haven't had the pleasure of reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas in a while, I am including it here. I think it's such a sweet poem and conveys perfectly the magic that is Christmas.

Twas the Night before Christmas 

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away, all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

I'll have a couple more cards before Christmas Day arrives. Two of them feature another Christmas angel done in two different color schemes.  I can't decide which one I like best so I'll let you decide for yourselves.  Stay tuned for that one.  

I also got wind from my team leader for the new DT that will start next month that a box full of product is on its way to me!  Yippeeeeeee!  I can't wait to start playing with it and hopefully soon after that I'll be able to announce the name of the company I'll be representing! How exciting! Until next time, have a wonderful week!

Happy crafting!

Anniebee

Christmas Star Angel

One more day and another weekend will be here!  That means more crafting time, for a couple of days at least.  This will be the last full weekend of shopping before Christmas too!  I am just astounded that this year is counting down to its close already.  It hardly seems possible that 2012 is just a few days away!

Today, I have another one of the Christmas cards I promised.  This one also features an image by Phee McFaddell, a star angel.  I love this image and it was a lot of fun to color with Copics.  The patterned paper and the tiny holly sprig are by K and Company.  The pink cardstock is from Paper Studio and the scalloped border is by ek Success.  The stamped greeting, sentiment and cross image were heat embossed with metallic gold embossing powder, which gives the card a classic appeal.

I'll have another card for you sometime this weekend.  In case you missed them, I also posted a Christmas card on Tuesday and a layout and card on Wednesday. Beginning the first week in January, I will be doing a guest designer spot for Quick Quotes.  I hope you'll all stop by for a visit during that time period as I'll be using their wonderful products in my creations.  Right now, I am about to fall asleep at the keyboard so until next time...

Happy Crafting!
Anniebee

Project #3 for the CDAC Progressive Freebies Challenge - Round 6 (cdacpc6)

(Please note that this is my third post for today.  Please scroll down to see the other two posts.)

Hello again!  I'm back with my third (and the last one for today) project for round 6 of CDAC's Progressive Freebies Challenge.  This card features an image created by Ginger Loft.  This scene reminded me very much of rural Louisiana where my ex-husband's family lives so I colored it to look like one of the thousands of country homesteads that litter the highways and byways of that state.  It rarely snows there around Christmas so I didn't put snow on the ground, which is very sandy.  The area where they lived, close to Lake Charles, is known for its lumber industry and there are huge pine trees everywhere.  In fact, that area of East Texas and western Louisiana is known as the Piney Woods.  The shack, or shed as they are called in Louisiana, is also a familiar sight so how could I had to call this one "A Louisiana Christmas".  My mother-in-law loved to quilt and the dp I used looks very much like some of the old traditional quilt patterns.  I also made my greeting resemble quilt blocks with patterned paper that reminds me of quilt fabric and faux stitching around the edges of the "blocks" and letters, which spell NOEL.

Well, here... have a look for yourselves.

So there you have it!  I hope you have enjoyed this eclectic collection of Christmas projects.  As I said earlier, I'll be back tomorrow with a couple more.  This is the last round of this particular progressive challenge at CDAC but I think they have plans of starting another round as soon as this one is finished.  So if you like free digi stamps and enjoy coloring with Copics, I encourage you to give it a try.

Aside from the CDAC Progressive Freebie Challenge, I am entering this card in the following challenges:

TBD

So until next time, my friends...

Happy crafting!
Anniebee

Project #2 for the CDAC Progressive Freebies Challenge - Round 6 (cdacpc6)

I'm baaaaack... with my second project for round 6 of the CDAC Progressive Freebies Challenge.  This is a cute card, which measures 4" by 9" and will fit in a standard business size envelope.  Normally, I make my own envelopes to match my cards but I'm not sure I'll have time to make all of them this year so I am trying to make most of my cards in standard sizes so I can use store bought envelopes if I need to.  However, I have made a couple of cards that are either oversized or the embellishments are very chunky, requiring a box style envelope to keep from crushing the dimensional elements.  This isn't one of those cards though.

This cute image from Ellephantastic, is a bear flying what reminds me of a WWII fighter plane!  Compared to the war planes we have today, these prop planes were slow and not very agile but they got the job done in their time.  Anyway, I couldn't resist the temptation to have him pulling a flying banner.  It just seemed the natural thing for him to do.

As you can see in the photo of the inside of this card, I have not put a sentiment in it yet, which is the case with all of these cards.  I very often select the sentiment as I decide who will be receiving the card.  Okay, that's all for Project 2.  Now on to # 3!  Be right back with that one...

Aside from the CDAC Progressive Freebie Challenge, I am entering this card in the following challenges:

TBD

Anniebee

CARD # 3 for CDAC Progressive Freebies Challenge

Back again with my third entry for round 5 of the CDAC Progressive Freebies Challenge.  This cute little character reminds me a lot of the Pokemon characters that my granddaughter was crazy about when she was a little girl.  She's now 16 and has outgrown such things but she had tons of the collectors cards and many of them looked similar to this image, which was created by Phooka.  Again, I colored him with Copics.  I am planning to attach a tiny white pom pom to the ball of his hat but I have to find them in my stash and haven't had time to look for them yet.

The sentiment was cut on my Cricut E at 1" from red foil cardstock using the Storybook font cartridge and the little square medallion was made with a Sizzix die on my Cuttlebug and the rhinestone glued to the center.  Cardstock is Paper Studio  and the DP is some I bought at Hobby Lobby in 2009, I think.

I don't know how well you can tell from my photos but I attached the little guy to the card face with an Action Wobble.  This first picture shows him in motion and that's why he looks a bit blurry.

Well, that's it for today.  I hope you have enjoyed seeing these cute cards, even if they are not in my usual style.  I do like to get out of my box occasionally so I enjoyed coloring these images and making these cards for the challenge.  I hope you'll drop by tomorrow for the last 2 of my entries for this round.  Have a wonderful week.  My wish for you is that you find time to do something creative.  Until next time...

Happy crafting!

Anniebee

A bunch of new cards for the CDAC Progressive Freebies Challenge

Good morning, everyone, and happy Monday!  I have 5 new cards that I have made using the free digi stamps provided by CDAC for their progressive challenge which is in its 5th round right now.  I have to post them one at a time though because I have to link to them on the CDAC site so my plan is to post 3 today and the remaining 2 tomorrow.  This is the same thing I did last round so I hope you'll all bear with me through this process.  It's admittedly a bit tedious but necessary to make sure that the cards link up properly. If I had any sense, I would post them as I complete them but when I get on a roll, it's hard for me to stop, take pictures, edit them and write a blog post before I continue the creative process.  My poor feeble mind just doesn't work that way! LOL

I promise to make the next 2 posts short and sweet, with only a brief description of the card and credit to the image's creator.  Okay, here's the first of the 3 for today.  Now, I have to be completely honest in saying that these digis are probably not ones I would choose if I was purchasing images for my card making but after coloring them and putting them on cards, I think they turned out rather cute!  This one is a little girl holding a basket of gingerbread men.  Judging from the basic shapes used, I think it was drawn on the computer. The artist was SSBS Design and I colored it with Copics.

I have to tell you a little anecdote here.  When I was a very young child, my dad would take my brother and me to the bank and barber shop with him once a month.  He worked for the postal service so he was only paid once a month.  The barber shop was next door to a bakery and as a special treat and reward for behaving ourselves on these outings, he would buy each of us a big gingerbread man to eat on the trip home, where our mother and younger siblings were waiting for us to get home.  I don't think the younger ones ever enjoyed this outing with Dad or the gingerbread men either.  That is one of my fondest memories of my early childhood.  My dad worked nights at the post office in downtown Fort Worth so we didn't get to spend much time with him during the day except on weekends and I cherish those times when it was just Dad, my brother and me hanging out together.

Okay, back to the card. I thought it would be fun to give this card to my sister for Christmas so I found Paula Deen's recipe for gingerbread man cookies and printed it out to put inside the card.  I'll probably stamp some Christmas images on the recipe before I give the card to her.  The sentiment is one I made up and typed into Word, printed on cardstock and cut out to fit my tag. Cardstock and dp is by DCWV.

That's it for the first card.  Please stand by for the second and third ones.

(To be continued)

Anniebee