Three Kings

      I've done a really simple card for the letter "K" at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Holidays challenges which are running every day in November.  I chose the 3 Kings image from Beccy's Place and put it onto a card front made with Kraft CS.

     The images are pre-colored and merged together to make a single image.  The sentiment was added before printing.  I cut the image piece with a die from Cottage Cuts.  The 'strip' of glittered CS across the middle of the card is actually scrap bits from the basket of Christmas papers but I layered them on so that the empty space between them is covered by the image piece.

     Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

Crafts Galore

Do Al(l) Kreatives

Incy Wincy

Kerst Christmas

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

     See you again tomorrow, I hope.  This respiratory infection or virus, whatever it is, is really wearing me out!  The fatigue factor is definitely in charge.  :-D

   

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"J" Means Joy

      Today is the day for letter "J" at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Holidays November challenges.  The sentiment image saying "JOY" is from Beccy's Place and I do love it.  I featured it on a Joy Fold card and you can find a tutorial for that kind of card over on the Beccy's Place blog.  Check out the A - Z Card Folds tab at the top of the page.

     I colored the image using Sanjoki markers, with Jungle Green on the "Y", Jade Green on the holly, and Jerusalem Red on the "J."  The holly is another Beccy's Place image which I merged with the JOY before printing.  I hand tied a small bow with a scrap of ribbon.  The papers are all from a DCWV stack that was in my Christmas stash.

Card front when closed.

Inside when open.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Crafter's Cafe

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Love Those...Papers

Pammie's IP

Peace on Earth

Star Stampz

Word Power

     That's all for today.  Hopefully, I'll be back tomorrow with another post for the 30 Days of Holidays challenges at Beccy's Place.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Ice Skates for Letter "I"

      I'm running a bit behind in the 30 Days of Holidays over at Beccy's Place but I'm fighting a bad bout of RSV or some kind of respiratory virus and I'm pretty much staying in bed.  I get up for about a half an hour, work some on coloring an image or designing a card, nd then I have to go rest again.  As you can imagine, it's taking me a long time to complete just one card.  But today, I have a card done for the letter "I" and I'm sharing it with you.  If I finish another one, I'll do a second post today.

     To start off the "I"s I used, I chose a Jan's Digi Stamps Ice Skates image to feature on an Interlocking Gate fold card.  This is the first time I've made one of these but I followed the tutorial from Beccy's Place, which you can find in the "A - Z Card Folds" section on her blog.  Check the tabs at the top of the page.

     I colored the image with Sanjoki markers, using Ivory on the Ice skates.  I chose some Icy dp for the background which sparkles with Iridescent glitter.  I cut the image and the frame with dies from Die-Versions.  I printed the sentiment in an Italics font and cut it with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

     OK, time for me to go and rest again.  I really want to get over this whatever-it-is sickness.  It's definitely more than just a cold.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

30 Days of Holidays - Change the Colors

      This is going to be a quick post because I've come down with some sort of respiratory bug and I'm feeling pretty miserable.  

     Today, Beccy (Beccy's Place) gave us our first challenge theme which isn't a letter of the alphabet and she challenged us to use the same image on two different cards, but changing the colors of the image.  I chose to use one of her quilted stocking images, doing it first in red (Ohuhu & Copic markers), then again in green (Sanjoki markers.)  I also decided to reverse the images from each other before printing them, just to accentuate the difference.

     I used glitter CS for the card fronts and did no embellishments.  The images were both cut with QuicKutz dies but on the green image, I rounded the corners with a Fiskars punch.  Both sentiments were printed and cut with Avery Elle dies.  Very fast and very CAS - just what I needed today so that I can go lie in bed as soon as my post is finished.  :-D

 

     Challenges:

     Enjoy your day.  Happy Crafting  NanaConnie

Humbug Cat for Letter "H"

      I tried something completely new to me in making my next "30 Days of Holidays" card at Beccy's Place, a Handbag card.  I followed the tutorial Beccy has posted on her blog, made a couple of size adjustments because of the image I wanted to use, and I know I'll do this card type gain.  With more practice, I'll get better and the results will look better.

     The image is clip art and it was colored by my sis-in-law.  She used water color pencils and I think the fur is incredible!  Don't you just love those Harvest Gold eyes?  I cut and folded the CS into the handbag shape, cut the image piece into that shape, then printed and die cut (Avery Elle) the "Humbug" sentiment.   I dug into my stash for the Hunter green, glitter CS.  The handle was made using holographic ribbon (it changes color from red and gold to green and gold.)

     Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

Crafts Galore Encore

Conjuror of Dreams

Incy Wincy

Kerst Christmas

Mirtillamente

SheepSki Designs

SUYP Cats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cardinal Time at FQCC

      We have a new challenge starting today over at FarmQuest Country Christmas.  Our theme is always "Anything Country and Christmas Goes."  In keeping with that, I found this delightful clip art image of a cardinal on a tree branch.

     I did something I hadn't tried before; I found a piece of distressed dp in blue with snowflakes and printed the cardinal image onto it.  Then I colored the bird and the branch with watercolor pencils and gel pens.  I cut the image with a QuicKutz die, then cut two different mats (one steel blue and the other white) with other dies from the same set.  I layered those all together and put that piece onto snowflake dp from DCWV.  I hand-tied a bow using wired cord, then printed and die cut the sentiment with a die from Avery Elle.

     Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Let's Craft & Create

Outlawz Sketch

Penny's P-C

Triple B

     We'd love to see you playing along in this challenge.  It runs until December 5 so you have lots of time.  Remember, tis the season to get started making your Christmas cards!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Old Time Santa

      This CAS card is my DT sample for the FarmQuest General Store challenge which starts today.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and we are always sponsored by QKR Stampede.  The DT use three images from QKR and those are the prize for the challenge winner.

     I chose to use the Old Time Santa image and I colored him with Sanjoki markers, then cut the image and the two mats with Tonic Studios dies.  I used a Uchida punch of each of the corners and then layered them all together.  The card font was dry embossed with my Linen EF.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  A delightfully CAS card and very masculine.

     Challenges:

Colorful Options

Holly & Ivy

Outlawz Sketch

Paper Shelter

Word Art Weds

     Come play with us this month.  We love being inspired by you and what you make.  Who knows, you might even end up the winner of the three QKR Stampede images.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Letter "G" at 30 Days of Holidays

      My next card in the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place is for the letter "G" and I have a Thanksgiving card to share.  The image is pre-colored clip art, printed in gray scale, and colored in my own chosen colors using pencils and alcohol markers.  I added Glossy Accents to the hot chocolate cup for a bit of shine.  Fortunately, it photographed really well.  I also added glitter to the steam coming off the cocoa.

     Once colored, I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die, then matted it with a scrap of dp, also cut with a die (QuicKutz, I think.  I forgot to write it down.)  I decided to make a gate fold card and went searching through the scrap basket for papers to put on both sides of the gate.  On the left side (mostly covered by the image piece) I put Glossy Accents on the flowers.  For the right hand side, I used small rectangles of CS and put them onto the flap one above the other.

     I put glitter EP on each of those small rectangle snippets and heat embossed them.  I love the sparkle.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, then placed at the top of the image piece. 

     Challenges:

     That's all I have for today.   So far, I'm doing pretty well at playing every day at Beccy's Place and I hope to be able to keep going for the entire month.  We'll see.  In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

30 Days of Holidays - "F"

      Back to Halloween for this card but on it, I used all Beccy's Place images and sentiment.  The 3 images and the sentiment are all from different sets but they merged perfectly together for a fun card for the letter "F."  The witch is a silhouette, the potion bottles were sized to hang on the wall (I drew in the shelf myself, that's not part of the image) behind the witch, and the frog was colored with pencils.  Of course, we reference the flying monkeys for one extra "F".  

     Once merged and colored, I cut the image piece with a Spellbinders die, and cut the corners with a Fiskars punch.  The mat behind the image piece was cut on my paper cutter and the corners were rounded with another Fiskars punch.  The card front is a piece of orange CS and I added the snippet bits of dp, all of which came from the scrap basket.  The tiny flying bats add yet another "F." 

     I love this card!!  It came together so perfectly and I hate that I have to wait almost a full year to use it but that's what I get for making Halloween cards in November.  :-D

     Challenges:

A Cut Above

A Perfect Time ...

Critter Crazy

Do Al(l) Kreatives

Let's Craft & Create

Make My Monday  (Do frogs & flying monkeys count? lol)

Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

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

Wheel in the Blessings

      Here it is, the first Monday of November and Thanksgiving is only a couple of weeks away, at least here in the USA.  Once again, Inspiration Station has a new challenge and a new inspiration photo for you.  Find something in the photo which inspires your creative juices and enter a creation into our challenge before the end of the month.

     Here's the inspiration photo for this month: 

Here's my card.  I was inspired by the autumn colors, the pumpkin in the background, the leaves, and the overall harvest season feel.

     The image is from Jan's Digi Stamps and it was colored with a combination of Ohuhu and ProMarkers.  I cut the image using a Spellbinders rectangle die, then rounded the corners with a Fiskars punch.  The sentiment was also from Jan's Digi Stamps and is part of the set for this image.  I cut it with another die, this one from QuicKutz, then inked the edges before adding it to the image piece (which also has inked edges.)  

     The plaid paper is from a fabulous stack by DCWV, called very simply "Stack 9."  I can't even tell you how long I've had that stack but I found it when I was going through my stash of 12" x  12" papers.  It was in an overlooked plastic storage container, along with at least 4 other stacks, none of which had been touched in at least 3 years!  This one was in pristine condition with none of the papers ever having been used!   Sigh... yes, I do hoard and forget to use things.

     Note about Double Trouble  We're partnering with Double Trouble this challenge and if you do layers - at least 3 - and are inspired by our photo, you can enter both challenges!  I did 3 layers and was inspired by the photo, obviously.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Inkspirational

Love Those ... Papers

Outlawz Monday

Outlawz Color

Pammie's IP

     Hope we see you playing long this month.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 4 - "D"

     Here we are, already four days into the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and, so far, I've managed to make and post a card for each day.  Today we have to use things beginning with the letter "D" and I managed to compile 4 or 5 things.

     I started with two autumn themed digital images from Beccy's Place, along with a sentiment about 'pumpkin days...', and I merged all three of them into a single image for this Thanksgiving card.  I loved the warm, latte drink; lattes always make me think of fall (the only time I ever drink them.)  Fall makes me think of pumpkins, pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie, and all those things are perfect for a Thanksgiving greeting.

     The images are both pre-colored, so it was a matter of printing them, and die cutting the image with a QuicKutz die.  I found two embossing folders and dry embossed both card stock and a scrap of metallic foil.  Those became the background for the image piece.  The 'Thanksgiving ...' sentiment was printed and cut with another die, this one from Avery Elle.  I added a jute cord bow for a little dimension.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Can You Handle ...?

Crafty Calendar

Di's Digi Design

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

Triple B

    Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Letter "C" for Third Day

      We're on Day 3 of the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and the theme is all about using things with the letter "C."  I've managed to compile quite a list of Cs but you'll have to read through my description of how the card was made to find them all.  Fortunately, I've done those words in bold face to make it easier.

     I started by choosing this cold cardinal image from Beccy's Place who's clearly celebrating Christmas.  The sentiment of Christmas Cheer is also from Beccy's Place.  I colored the image with ProMarkers and Copics, choosing crimson and cranberry as the reds for the bird.  

 

     After coloring, I cut the image with a Cottage Cuts die, and used a Uchida corner punch to round the corners.  I did the sentiment the same way.  I also decided on a very CAS card design because that gave me one more C!  :-D

     Challenges:

     Now I need to go find an image for my "D" card tomorrow.  I'll also have 2 posts tomorrow, one for Beccy's Place and the other one featuring my DT card for the newest Inspiration Station challenge which begins tomorrow.  In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

30 Days of Holidays - "B"

      This is my second post for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place, and although I posted my card for "A" early this morning, Beccy's Place is on Australia time so they have already started the second day of the challenges.  The theme is to use things starting with "B."

     I love Birds on my Christmas cards and this time I even chose a Baby bird.  I colored him with markers using mostly Burgundy and Bayberry (green) on the bird and holly leaves & Berries.  After coloring, I cut the image with a QuicKutz die.  The sentiment was merged into the image before printing so it came out as part of the image when I die cut it.

     The Background paper was a scrap from an old DCWV stack.  I found some red ribbon, wrapped it around the card front, and tied a Bow.

      Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

Crafts Galore Encore

Kerst Christmas

Morgan's ArtWorld

MTTCC

Outlawz Friday

SheepSki Designs

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place - Day 1

      Today begins the 30 Days of Holidays over at Beccy's Place and most of us will be making Christmas (or even Thanksgiving) cards but I'm not quite done with Halloween so you may see 2 or 3 of those in the collection of cards this month.  Fortunately, Beccy allows us to make cards for any holiday as long as we follow the alphabetical theme.  Since the first theme is the Letter "A,"  I used my Ohuhu Alcohol markers to color the pumpkin, an image from Beccy's Place.  I also made it an A2 card.

     I cut the image using a QuicKutz die, and cut the kraft frame for it with another die from that same set.  The CS I chose for the card front is a simple, beige, CS from my stash but I used a 'leather' embossing folder to add some texture to it before applying it to the card front.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The bow is brown gingham, hand-tied, and I added it below the pumpkin's 'chin' so that it looked like a bow tie.  :-D.

     Challenges:

Color Dare

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Creative Knockouts

Krafty Chicks

Outlawz Thursday

Pattie's Creations

Simon Says Stamp

     I hope to be able to get a card made for each of the days this month but I'm not sure that will happen.  I have a few days when I'll be out of town and I have no idea if I'll manage to pre-schedule posts for each day I'll be gone but we'll see,

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie