Designer Inspiration - NanaConnie

     Because the DT is taking a vacation over the Christmas and New Year holidays, Mynn has suggested to each of us that we go back and look for our favorite project from the last year using an MHK Designs image and this is the one I chose from last March.


      My inspiration card today uses the clock image from the "Rock My World" set and paper from the "You've Been Spotted in Pastels" set.  I used this card for my granddaughter's birthday party which had a vintage Mad Hatter theme and the clock fit perfectly (White Rabbit scurrying along, shouting, "I'm late, I'm late!")

      Have yourself a wonderful day, my friends.

     

Designer Inspiration from NanaConnie

     I hope all of you in the U.S. had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and I want to share a card which might inspire you to get a start on those Christmas cards which you still need to make.  Only five more weeks, can you believe it?

    For this one, I used the globe image from the "Rock My World" set and "Distressed Dots" dp from the "Glorious Gardens digital papers."  First I printed the paper, then printed the globe image directly on top of it.

     I used a die set from Die-Versions to cut the Santa and Sleigh twice (one brown, one eggshell white), then printed and matted the sentiment.  In finishing, I added only the red pearls and the red bow, wanting the focus to be on the image, not the embellishments.

      Don't forget that our final challenge for the year is playing right now and you can join in between now and December 15.  Hope to see you there.  

  

MHKDesigner's Inspiration - NanaConnie

     Today I'm sharing a Designer's Inspiration card with you which pleases me greatly because I managed to use a really cute, MHK Designs, non-holiday image (Cat to be Kitten Me) and turned it into a fun Thanksgiving card.

     I colored that darling feline with ProMarkers, cut it with a Spellbinders die, and used houndstooth paper from the Autumnal Accents set.  Then I added die cut leaves in offset layers and tied one of my latest bowtie bows for embellishment.

     Don't forget that our newest challenge is open and we have a wonderful inspiration photo as our theme.  However, if you use an image from MHK Designs, the theme is "Anything Goes."  Click on the "Current Challenge" tab up above to see the inspiration photo.

     Hope to see you there.  

  

MHK Designer Inspiration - NanaConnie

     Well, by now you've had a chance to see all the new releases for this month and to check out the latest challenge inspiration photo so today I want to give you another way to be inspired by another of the images in the "Thankful Thoughts" set.  This is the fabulous turkey and I did a plain Thank You card but it could just as well have been a masculine birthday or even a Thanksgiving card.

     I wanted to stick with fall neutrals but no matter what I did photographically, all the light browns turned orang-y.  Hmmm, don't know how to correct that so you'll have to trust me that they are more brown and less rust than they look here.

     I colored with polychromos pencils but used ProMarker on his wattle for a deeper color.  I fussy cut the turkey and mounted him on dimensional tape.  I used satin lace to make the bow and the ribbon is velveteen.  The corners are decorated with sequins and pearls.

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in the August/September challenge which runs through until September 20.  Here's a quick look at the inspiration photo for the challenge and you can find the challenge by clicking on the tab up above which says "Current Challenge."

  Be inspired by the flower or the colors or the combination of them.  Remember, if you use an MHK Designs image, then the theme is Anything Goes and you don't need to use the inspiration photo at all.  :-D

MHK Designer Inspiration - NanaConnie

     In keeping with all the fantastic Christmas sets Mynn released this month, I've done a Christmas card using one of her older sets, "Christmas Silhouettes."  This happens to be the 'Wise Men' image from that set and the sentiment I chose is from the "Holiday Deer" set (one of my favorites for masculine cards year round.)

     It's a very simple design, really.  I printed out the silhouette (I love that these are done in reverse!), then cut and matted it.  I did the same with the sentiment.  I layered each of those onto sparkle CS and added a strip of satin ribbon and a bit of holly as an embellishment.

     Here are photos of the complete sets I used.

  

     Don't forget to play along in our challenge which runs until August 20.

Designer's Inspiration - NanaConnie

     On my own blog last Thursday, I shared a sympathy card I had to make for family friends who lost their 'special needs' daughter at age 18.  This is a second card for the same family at the request of my own daughter who has been a close friend of theirs for more than twenty years.  I chose image, sentiment, and digital dp from MHK Designs and this as my Designer's Inspiration card for this month.

     Sympathy cards are never easy to make but these frames from the new "I've Been Framed" set give lots of options for simple but elegant cards.  For this card, I chose the "Tree Frame" from the set.  The background is dp from the "French Country" set and the sentiment came from the "Beginnings and Endings" set.

     I die cut the sentiment, backed it with blue CS, cut it again, and added it to the inside of the frame with dimensional dots.  The two flowers were in my stash and have just a touch of glitter on them.  Everything is backed with matching blue CS, making a great mat for the image.

     Below you'll find photos of the three sets I used.  Have a great day and happy stamping.

  I've Been Framed 

 French Country

 Beginnings and Endings

     

Designer Inspiration - NanaConnie

     Today is my day to post some Designer Inspiration on the MHK Designs blog and I hope maybe this card will encourage you to see how much fun masculine vintage cards can be.   I love making masculine cards but combining that with vintage is wonderful.  This "Big Wheel" image from the "Wheely Like You" set was perfect for a card I'm giving to a lovely gent who recently got a promotion to upper level management.

     I used neutral shades of brown and beige CS for the die cut mats and the rectangles, heat embossed a strip with gold EP, dry embossed the card front, and used a few wheel and gear embellies to emphasize both the masculine and vintage elements of the card.  I added a few dark brown pearls.

     Although this set comes with some really great sentiments, I printed one of my own this time because I wanted it to be specific to the job promotion.  :-D

     Don't forget that MHK Designs has a new challenge that started last Saturday and there's plenty of time for you to play along.  Check out the challenge post by clicking the "Current Challenge" tab up above and then come play along with us.

     Have a wonderful day!

MHK Designer Inspiration - NanaConnie

     It's my day to do the Designer Inspiration Post at MHK Designs and I hope everyone gets some kind of inspiration from this delicious card on which I used papers from the "Easter Flowers" digi paper set and an image from Mynn's lovely "Stencil in the Roses" set.  After the fabulous release of five new sets this month, I wanted to use an older set which is one of my 'go to' sets for all kinds of occasions.

     Since purple is my favorite color, you could have guessed that would be in use.  :-D

     I used a different printing technique than what I usually do and I really like the way it turned out.  I selected my digital paper, printed it and then put that sheet of paper back into the printer tray.  Then I went back, selected the rose image and printed it onto the original sheet of printed paper.

     Didn't that make a spectacular silhouette?  I trimmed the paper to size, turned it slightly on an angle, then trimmed off the corners which overlapped the edges of the card.   I added one bit of black lace before mounting everything onto a lavender card front.   I printed the sentiment  ("Tulip of Thanks" set) separately, cut it by hand, and adhered it last.

     Don't forget that our new challenge for April/May started last Thursday and you have until May 20th to get a card in.  We have an inspiration photo which you can use (colors, photo, whatever),



or, if you use any MHK Designs image, then the challenge theme for you is "Anything Goes."  Hope we see you playing along.

   

MHK Designer Inspiration: NanaConnie

     
     This is my first opportunity to do a Designer Inspiration post since joining the team back in late January.  Last month, when it was my turn, I was unable to craft or post due to a hand injury so being able to do it now is a real treat.

     My inspiration card today uses the clock image from the "Rock My World" set and paper from the "You've Been Spotted in Pastels" set.  I used this card for my granddaughter's birthday party which had a vintage Mad Hatter theme and the clock fit perfectly (White Rabbit scurrying along, shouting, "I'm late, I'm late!")

      Have yourself a wonderful day, my friends.

     

Design Team Member Introductions: NanaConnie

Welcome back to another design team introduction today at MHKDesigns!  I have been SO blessed to work with these amazing gals, and I am incredibly excited to get to introduce you to our next DT gal -- NanaConnie from Grammy's Attic!  Take it away, NC!

"Greetings!  I'm NanaConnie (usually reduced to NC for ease of typing.)   I've been crafting since childhood and have been doing paper crafts for about 10 years, card making specifically for the last 5.  If I have a "favorite style," I'm not aware of it yet.  I'm working on CAS to try to perfect it, but I also like vintage with laces and flowers and bling.  Mostly, I like styles that really showcase the images, whatever style those might be.

I'm widowed, but I have lots of family: grown children, mostly teenage grandchildren, and even two young great-grands.  I currently live in California.  When I'm not crafting, I volunteer with several different organizations, do fundraising for non-profit organizations, and spend lots of time with family.

I love MHK Designs images and am so looking forward to working with this fantastic group of crafty ladies."

     Here's a card I did just for today.  :-D  I used an image and a sentiment from the Blossoming set.

Thank you so much for sharing yourself with us, NanaConnie!  I'll be back soon with more introductions, and NC will be back with some of her GORGEOUS inspiration for MHKDesigns!  Sending crafty hugs to you all!