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

Frightful Raven

      I have my first Halloween card for the year to share with you today.  Somehow, I got things out of order in my card making.  I've been focused on Thanksgiving cards and have most of those done already and then it struck me that Halloween is next month and Thanksgiving the month after that so I got busy and made my first two Halloween cards yesterday.

     I have 12 more Halloween images colored and ready but they haven't been turned into cards yet.  Later this week, probably, and certainly over the weekend so that I have more of them to share with you early next week.

     I chose this image from Beccy's Place, colored it with my newest Ohuhu alcohol markers, then cut it with a Spellbinders die.  I inked the edges with a marker and mounted the printed and cut sentiment (also Beccy's Place and a Tonic Studios die to cut it) onto the image piece.  The background CS is embossed with glitter EP and it says "Boo" in half a dozen different fonts and sizes.  I think that's from a DCWV stack.  No embellishment beyond the embossing because it was perfect the way it was.

     Challenges:

Critter Crazy

Digi Choosday

Halloween  AYR

Pammie's IP

SheepSki Designs

Triple B

Two Old Bats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fir Cone

      Today's card features a digital image from Eureka Stamps, called "Fir Cone" and I thought it was perfect for a Country Christmas card.  It's my DT card for our latest challenge over at FarmQuest Country Christmas.  There are only two requirements to enter that challenge: your project MUST be Christmas and it MUST reflect a country world.  No cityscapes or high rise buildings, no streets clogged with traffic and buildings, no city shopping malls -- you get the idea.  Country, farm land or animals, woodland, trees, open fields, even Santa in the woods with non-domestic animals.

     The fir cone and branch are definitely about the country and they were colored with Sanjoki markers, then I added glitter to frame the image.  Everything was layered onto a black card front.  The bow was hand sewn and a pearl was stitched on.  A nice, simple design.

     Challenges:

12 Months

CCAYR

Crafting Challenge

Friendship

Happy...Stampers

Happy Li'l Stampers

Let's Craft & ...

YSP

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our Country Christmas challenge this month.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Gnome's Christmas Tree

      This adorable image is from Anne Fenton and she gave it to us for the Outlawz Progressive challenge.  I colored it with my Sanjoki markers, cut it with a Spellbinders square die, and cut the green frame with another die from that same set.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     I found an old stack of Christmas papers from Recollections in my stash and chose the background paper from it.  Although it doesn't show very well in the photo, the ornaments on the background paper have glitter on them for a bit of sparkle on the card.  Beyond that, it's a very CAS card, very flat and suitable for mailing.

Tuesday Morning - sketch turned 1/4 turn

     Challenges:

Christmas Kickstart

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Happy...Stampers

I Love Markers

Passion for Markers

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Time for Pie

     Another of the cards I finished while I was doing the local Craft Fair on Saturday and this one will go to one of the grandkids on Thanksgiving Day.  

    The digital image was printed in reverse, colored polychromos pencils, blended with gamsol, and shading was added with alcohol markers.  I used one of my very first Spellbinders dies to cut the image, and the sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  The background strip of dp was a scrap from the fall basket; the pumpkins are embossed for texture and touched with glitter for just the smallest amount of sparkle.  I hand-tied the bow using satin ribbon and called it finished.  Isn't she the sweetest little mouse ever?

     Challenges:

Can You Handle ...

Coloring w Pencils

Crafter's Cafe

Creative Moments

Cutie Pie

Inspiration Station (fall colors)

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR (Thanksgiving Pies)

Pammie's IP

     That's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by again.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Nutcrackers

      Conie Fong has a new image set, released just this week and perfect for Christmas.  It's a fabulous set of Nutcrackers which includes a King, a Soldier, and a Drummer.  Click on the word "Nutcrackers" in the previous sentence and that will take you right to them in store.  They are so perfect and I went a little crazy making DT projects with them.  :-D

     I started with this card, using the Nutcracker King image.  He's colored with Sanjoki markers, then cut with a Tonic Studios die.  I used a Sizzix embossing folder on a scrap of CS (Stampin' Up) to make the blue panel, then cut the snowflakes with dies from Impression Obsession.  They have glitter added to them for a tiny bit of sparkle but it just doesn't show up in the photo.  The Noel sentiment was cut with a Die-Versions die.  The final touch was the hand-sewn, satin bow with a pearl.

     Challenges:

     Feeling that the other two Nutcracker images shouldn't be left out, and because my daughter collects nutcrackers as Christmas decorations and displays, I made a two-sided, tree ornament for her.  Both images were colored with Sanjoki markers, then I cut each one with the same Spellbinders die.  

 

     After cutting the images with that die, I cut 7 more of that shape from plain white CS.  I sandwiched all those layers together using double stick tape to make the ornament thick and heavy, and added a scrap of ribbon as the hanger.  (Note: As an afterthought, after the photos had been taken, I applied Mod Podge to both sides and along the edges of the ornament, letting it dry between applications.  It's now very sturdy and can be used year after year.)

     These snowflakes were cut with a die from Cottage Cuts.  Here are photos of both sides of the ornament.

Drummer

 

Soldier

     Challenges:

     Don't forget that we have a monthly challenge going over on the Conie Fong Facebook site with an Anything Goes theme.  All you have to do is use a Conie Fong image (there are freebies available on the site which you can download and use.)  Or, if you've fallen in love with the Nutcrackers, you can pick up all 3 of them in the set for only $4.00!  Again, all you have to do is click on the word "Nutcrackers" in the first paragraph of this post and that link will take you right to them in the Etsy store.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Horse and Cardinal

      Good morning (or afternoon or evening, whatever time it is when you visit.)  Today I have two posts done within minutes of each other and both are for different FarmQuest challenges.  This one is for the FarmQuest Country Christmas Challenge (FQCCC.)  In case you missed it, the FarmQuest General Store post is immediately before this one.  Be sure to check it out, too.

     The card was amazingly quick to make.  I know horses aren't exactly traditional CHRISTMAS critters, not like polar bears or penguins, but I found this incredible clip art image, pre-colored, and I just had to use it!  It was perfect for a country Christmas.  I merged the sentiment before printing it.  I added a few white highlights using a polychromos pencil.  I cut the image with a QuicKutz die before layering it on top of a background made with glittery mesh ribbon strips and burlap/baker's twine strings in the very middle.  Rather CAS and the whole thing took less than 15 minutes.

     Challenges:

Christmas Kickstart

Colorful Options

Digi Choosday

Happy...Stampers

Holly & Ivy

Outlawz Friday

Peace on Earth

Triple B (bird, blossoms)

     I hope we're going to see you playing along this month.  I know we're all focused on Christmas (and other December holiday) cards this month, so why not find an image with a country or farm theme and use it to enter our Country Christmas challenge?  See you there.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Leave a Little Sparkle ...

      It's time to share the card I made for the June challenge at Beccy's Place, and I was inspired by one of Beccy's sentiments which I merged before printing with her lovely "Hydrangea" image.  The theme this month is the usual "Anything Goes with a Beccy's image" but the optional theme she offered was "Doodling."

     I colored the flower with my ProMarkers and then added white and purple glitters to the blossom.  I doodled the stitching around the edges with a purple gel pen.  The little mulberry-paper flower came from Recollections and I used a white gel pen to accent the center.

     This is a very CAS, single-layer card with lots of white space.

     Challenges:

Addicted to CAS

Bastel-Traum

Beautiful Blossoms

Creative Fingers

Friendship

Morgan's ArtWorld

Triple B

Worldwide Crafters ...

     Be sure to check out my first post today with all the details about the latest challenge over at Crafty Catz.  Just scroll down 1 post.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnieProM

Bow in Her Hair

       When I first saw this image by Mariola Budek, my thoughts went straight to my mom who combed out my hair every day for the first 14 years of my life and dressed it in some sort of braid, with bows tied into it most days.  By the time I was 14, my hair was long enough that I could sit on it, even when braided.  Up to that point, I had never had it cut.  What a patient woman she was!  :-D

     I colored this image (sorry, I can't remember the name of it but it probably came in one of the many hairstyle images books she has available) with Sanjoki markers and used water color paints on the background.  I cut the image with a die from Tonic Studios, and inked the edges with an ink pad.  

     The card front has been water colored, then run through my Linen embossing folder for texture.  The sentiment was cut with  QuicKutz die and the flower layers were Spellbinders cuts.  I added Wink of Stella and glitter to the larger flower layer, and just a tiny spot of Stickles to the tiny flower layer.  The bow in her hair was hand-tied using a bit of sparkle twine.

     Challenges:

Di's Digi Designs (bow)

Gem of a Challenge

I Love ProMarkers

Outlawz Thurs

Paper Funday

Pattie's Creations

There's a Stamp ...

Word Art Weds

     That's it for today but I'll have another post tomorrow so I hope you'll stop by.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Mitten

      Today I'm sharing my Letter "M" card for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.  I've used one of Beccy's Mitten images, this one filled with delicious gingerbread men.  Other "M"s used on my card are: Markers, Metal glitter paper, Metallic gold paint, Mat, and Magenta.

     I colored with ProMarkers, plus gel pens and gold metallic paint on the gingerbread men, then cut the image with an oval die from QuicKutz.  I used a larger oval die from that same  QuicKutz set to cut the metal glitter paper I used for a mat behind the image.  The dp is from a DCWV stack and it's both embossed and sparkly.  I fussy cut the tags panels and used them as the sentiment.

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Blessings

      This morning, I'm sharing another Thanksgiving card but not one for the 30 Days of Holidays.  I'll have that one this afternoon.  This card has an image from a Jan's Digi Stamps set called "Autumn Leaves."  I'd give you a link to it but I can't seem to find it in the shop.  Sorry.  Edit: Found it! (Thanks, Donna) Click HERE to see the whole set.

     This image is the 'Spices' part of the set and I thought it had gorgeous autumn colors.  I cut the image with a Spellbinders die.  I used scraps of gold and orange CS to make the background, added glittered ribbon, and layered the die cut image on top.  The sentiment was merged with the image before printing.  I added a double loop bow with button which I 'dyed' with ProMarkers to match the colors in the card.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Die Cut Divas

Happy Li'l Stampers

Incy Wincy

Inspiration Station (fall oranges and yellows)

Jan's Digi Stamps

Morgan's ArtWorld

Rabisco

     I'll see you later with another card this afternoon.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Letter "I" at Beccy's Place

     GOD BLESS OUR VETERANS
Thank you all for your service to your country.

      I'm up to the Letter "I" on the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and maybe, by the end of the weekend, I'll be up to date.  :-D  For the letter "I," I've incorporated Ice, Ice skating, Image, Inking (on the edges of the cut image and sentiment), and Iridescent (the snowflake dots ribbon.)

     The Beccy's image was colored using ProMarkers and white gel pen, then cut with a Tonic Studios die.  I inked the edges using a ProMarker.  The background dp is from a "Stonewashed" stack by Paper Studio.  I thought it looked a bit like snow swirling in the air.  The glittered ribbon with the dots (snowflakes?) is iridescent but that doesn't show very well in the photo.  The sparkly red ribbon I used for the bow came from my stash.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Creative Inspirations

Creative Knockouts

I Love ProMarkers

Outlawz Festive Fri

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Polkadoodles

Word Art Weds

     Have a wonderful start to your weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Beccy's Place - "D"

      Yes, I know this one is out of order since I did Letter "E" yesterday but I finished yesterday's card before I got this one done.  Besides, keeping things completely alphabetical only matters if you're a librarian or a file clerk.  I'm neither, plus I'm retired so I can do it any way I like!  lol  This is for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.

     I followed another of Beccy's fabulous (and easy to follow) tutorials, this time for a Diamond Point card fold.  You can find it in the long, (long, long!) list of Beccy's Tutorials on her blog.  Just search by alphabetical order!  The card also has these "D"s: Decorations, Decorating, Diagonals, Deep red, Digital stamp, Die cutting, and Dimension.

     I used a pre-colored image, added glitter to each of the lights on the string decorating the giraffe (whose name is "Merle"), to the star over his head, to the Christmas ball hanging from his tail, and to hiss Santa stocking.  Merle was cut with a QuicKutz die.  The sentiment is also from Beccy's Place, and I printed and fussy cut it.  I matted it with a scrap of the same dp which is on the pieces behind the image (those are scraps, too), and trimmed that with scissors to fit the space.

     Challenges:

A Vintage Christmas

Ally's Angels

Bastel-Traum

Colorful Options

Crafty Catz

Creative Inspirations

Happy Li'l Stampers

Pammie's IP

     See you with another 30 Days of Holidays post tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Whose Christmas Stocking?

      I have two posts today; this one as my DT card for Conie Fong and a second one coming up for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.

     This Conie Fong image is called "Christmas Stocking" and it's ON SALE right now!  You might want to also check out "Molly's Christmas Stocking" which is a related set and like this one, it's on sale, too.

     For the image on my card, I colored with water color paints, added glitter to the laces and the package, then used an Unbranded die to cut it.  I took a bit of a liberty with the image when I added a die cut kitten to the stocking, but the image reminded me of every cat I've ever had who climbed the Christmas tree and did everything possible to explore the stockings as they hung from the mantle piece.  The kitten was cut from a Cheapo die.  The die actually has the kitten climbing on the side of a goldfish bowl but I fussy cut just the cat from the overall die cut, then added him to the stocking.

     The background dp was from the (Christmas) scrap basket.  I think it was from a Graphic 45 stack.  I tied a simple bow, then heat embossed the sentiment, cut it with a Tonic Studios die, and mounted it diagonally at the top of the image.

I based this on the sketch from The Outlawz, turned vertical.

     Challenges:

Dare 2B Artzy

Dragonfly Dreams

Kerst Christmas

Morgan's Art World

Paperbabe

Peace on Earth

Penny's Paper-Crafty

SUYP Cats

Word Art Weds

     Please come and play in our Conie Fong challenge.  All you have to do is use a CF image, color it, and enter your project on the Facebook page!  You could win more fabulous Conie Fong images.  BTW, there are freebies available on the Facebook site!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie  

Child in the Manger

      I spent so much time making cards for the Month of Holidays at Beccy's Place this morning that I completely forgot to post the card I finished last night.  I've done cards all the way through "H" but I may not be posting them in order.  The one I made for "F" is actually doing double duty and will be a card I did for a new DT position I was offered and accepted.  But you won't see it until November 28th.  :-D

     This is my third card posted so far and it's for the Letter "C."  It's a Criss-Cross card (see a tutorial from Beccy here), and I've done Coloring, Cutting, used the Color Calm Blue, and used 2 Corner punches (Uchida and Fiskars.)   The image is from Beccy's Place and it's of the Christ Child in the manger.  

     I colored with ProMarkers, added glitter to his halo, and cut the image with my paper cutter before using 2 different corner dies on it.  I followed the tutorial from Beccy for making the criss cross card.  This would be a great time to tell you about the wealth of "How To" instructions Beccy has on her blog for making all different types and styles of fancy fold cards.  Check them out at this link: A to Z Card Folds.  Thanks, Beccy, for having all those tutorials in one convenient place.  I know those have taken you a ton of time to create!

     The glittery angels were cut with a Memory Box die and I used a QuicKutz die to cut the octagon which I used as a clasp (oh, another C!) for the front criss cross.  I cut two, glued them together, and mounted them on a dimensional dot.  The edge of the criss cross slips behind it and yet easily flips open.

Open

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Catz

Crafty Friends

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creative Creases

Creative Knockouts

Die Cut Divas

Gem of a Challenge

ScorPal

     See you tomorrow with my next post for Beccy's and probably another post as a DT for Conie Fong.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Country "Cowboy" Angels for Halloween

      Here we are starting another challenge at QKR Stampede and I think these two adorable images (merged together on this card) make perfect Halloween costume ideas.  :-D  I know when I was a child, I wanted to be an angel for Halloween one year and a cowgirl another year, but I never thought about combining them into one costume.

     "Cowboy Angel" and "Cowgirl Angel" were both colored with water color paints and glitter was added to their wings and halos.  I cut the image piece with border dies from Spellbinders both top and bottom, then used my Fiskars paper cutter to trim up the sides.  Both the red and the blue background pieces were scraps from the basket, and I dry embossed them using my Linen EF.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I inked the edges of the sentiment with ProMarkers, keeping in mind the diagonal line of the background.  It wasn't a perfect match up but close. 

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Digi Choosday

Penny's PaperCrafty

Simon Says Stamp

World Wide DT

     You really should come and play with us this month.  Our challenges are always "Anything Goes" and we choose 2 winners from each challenge.  The first winner is randomly chosen from those who entered using QKR Stampede images and the second is a random winner from all other entries.  We have challenges starting on the 1st and the 5th of each month.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Dragonfly

      Today I want to share a card I made using a fun image from Pattie's Creations, which is called "Dragonfly 1."  I really love the way this came together.  

     I used water color paints to color the dragonfly, added loose glitter to the wings, and let it dry.  I used a Fiskars punch to round the corners after first cutting the image with a Spellbinders die.  The sentiment is mine, printed and cut by hand.

     The plaid background dp came from a stack by Your Next Stamp and the triple-loop bow was tied using my bow maker.

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Double D

Gem of a Challenge

Paperbabe

Penny's Paper-Crafty

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Wedding Magnolias

      I absolutely adore this magnificent image & sentiment set from Jan's Digi Stamps, new this month and called "Wedding Magnolias."  It's also on sale for the rest of April so grab it while you can and save some money.

     I merged the sentiment with the magnolia image before printing, then colored with ProMarkers.  I cut the image with my largest QuicKutz die.  I found the pink-purple-aqua, ombre glitter paper in my stash (from Recollections) to use for the background.  I wrapped a piece of iridescent cord around the card front and tied it into a bow.

     I stamped a dragonfly onto a scrap bit of white CS, colored it with water colors, added glitter to it and, after it dried, fussy cut it with scissors and secured it to the card front with dimensional dots.

     Challenges:

     This is just a reminder that our April challenge will run until Sunday, May 1, so you have another 2 weeks to enter your project into our April "Always Anything Goes" challenge.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Butterflies

      I'm sharing with you my DT card for the current challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" except on a 5th Monday, and that happens only a few times each year.  Our sponsor this week is the artist Varada Sharma and I've only recently been introduced to her work.  She's really marvelous!  I used her beautiful butterflies, merging them together into an interesting pattern and adding the sentiment before printing.

     I colored with ProMarkers and watercolor pencils, then cut the image with my Fiskars paper cutter.  I did the corners with Fiskars and Uchida punches.  I added glitter to the butterfly wings and let it dry.  I chose one color from the butterflies and matched (as closely as possible) colored CS to it for the background piece.  I tied a Butterfly shaped, wrapped bow, using 1" grosgrain ribbon, and 1/4" ribbon for the center wrap.

     Challenges:

2 Sisters ... Blog

Ally's Angels

Country View

Creatalicious

Creative Moments

LeAnn's World

Let's Craft & Create

     We really would love to see you join in our challenge; "Anything Goes" and it runs until next Sunday.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Rose Fairy

      One more monthly progressive challenge and this time it's for The Outlawz.  This beautiful image, which I think of as a lovely fairy, was provided by Moon Flower Digistamps.  I thought she'd look great in monochromatic pinks.

     She was colored with ProMarker and gel pens, then cut with an octagon die from QuicKutz.  The plain, pink CS was embossed with my Linen EF, then combined with glitter paper from Recollections for the background.  A small scrap of the glitter paper was cut with a die from Your Next Stamp and the drop out pieces were used to make the trio of embellishments on the right hand side.  Finally, I used my bow maker to tie a triple loop bow for the left side.  The Birthday sentiment was stamped and highlighted with white gel ink.

I based my card on the sketch at Cheerful Sketches,

inspired by the basics but giving it my own flavor by spreading the 

distance of the half-circle embellishments, tilting the sentiment onto a diagonal,

 and using the bow to replace the upright strip on the right side.

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Art-Piaskownica

Classic Design

Creations in Pink

Die Cut Divas

Friendship

Morgan's ArtWorld

Polkadoodles

     I'll have another DT post late tonight featuring a card done for the new weekly challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.  Then, a couple of hours after that, I'll have one as a midway reminder for the monthly challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps.  Do stop by and check those out, too.  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie