Blessings on Thanksgiving

 Happy Thanksgiving !

     I wanted to share this card with you on Thanksgiving Day even though I actually made it for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.  I know, I know, the day for alphabet letter "T" was last week, but the card turned out so magnificently that I knew I had to hold it back and post it today.  :-D

     I used Thanksgiving, Turkey, Tent card, and Tilted image piece for my "T"s.  The image is pre-colored, clip art, and before I printed the image, I edited it so that the turkey printed in gray scale while everything else was already colored.  I colored the turkey with pencils and markers.  Everything other than the turkey is the original, pre-colored image.

     The pumpkin vines background behind the image piece is another digital dp which I sized to fit a 5.5 x 5.5 inch card.  I felt like the digital dp was bright enough that no other embellishment was needed.  I think it makes a delightful masculine card even if it does feel a bit 'busy.'

     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

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

In the Pumpkin Patch

      Well, yesterday I shared a Thanksgiving card with you and today I've reverted back to another Halloween card, this one with an image from QKR Stampede.  Over the years that I was on the QKR Stampede DT, I'll bet I used this image every Halloween for at least 8 years (which is pretty much every year I was on the team!)  It's a favorite of mine but this time I get to share it as another collaboration with my sis-in-law doing the coloring of the image with Ohuhu markers and me putting the card together.

     The colored image was cut with a Spellbinders rectangle die but I rounded the corners with one of my Fiskars punches.  I did the same thing with the frame around the image, cut with a Spellbinders die and corners rounded with the Fiskars punch.  My sis-in-law loved the shape and asked me to cut more of her colored images that way when turning them into a card.  lol  She's getting hooked on the card making process, ... slooowly.  Just not yet ready to try her own hand at it.  

     (I made another card yesterday afternoon as a birthday card for one of her granddaughters but I made her choose the image, the size and shape of it, plus the paper for the background and all I did was choose one little embellishment.  Maybe I'll share that card tomorrow.)

     I used paper scraps which originally came from a Recollections Halloween stack to make the background.  I combined the two of them because neither was large enough to cover the entire card front but even with different size stripes, they worked together so well.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a small Tonic Studios die, then framed with a scrap bit of CS.

     Challenges:

Crafts Galore Encore

Do Al(l) Kreatives

Four Seasons

Halloween AYR

Krafty Chicks

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

SheepSki Designs

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Halloween Shuffle

      This Country Couple really knows how to shuffle it on the dance floor!   I adore this image and can hardly believe this is the first time I've used it, considering how long I've had this set.  It came from Jan's Digi Stamps and the set is called "Pumpkin People."  

      For this card, I started with one of the pre-colored images, printed it in grayscale, then colored it with my Sanjoki markers and colored pencils.  The cat image (and the sentiment) was merged with the pumpkin people before printing, and I kept it as printed, no additional coloring.

     I cut the image with an old QuicKutz square die.  I found a scrap of Halloween paper for the background, layered the image onto it, and kept it very simple with no embellishment of any kind.

     Challenges:

I Love Markers

I Spy with My ...

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Star Stampz

SUYP Cats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Spooky Pumpkin Patch Cat

      We are starting our newest challenge at FarmQuest General Store today and, as usual, we have a general "Country/Farm" theme.  We are sponsored by QKR Stampede and the prize is the three images used by the DT on their inspiration cards both today and on September 21 for the halfway reminder post.

     For my card, I used the adorable QKR image called "Kitty and Pumpkin."  I colored it with my new Ohuhu markers, then cut it with a Cutz die.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     The plaid paper in the upper background came from a digital stamp I got from Beccy's Place.  The orange triangle in the background was cut from a scrap of CS found in my basket of fall papers.   The black bow was hand sewn (starting with white ribbon which I dyed black with a marker) and to which I sewed a tiny, white, pearl bead.

     Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

I Love Markers

Not2Shabby

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Two Old Bats

     Come by and play with us this month!  You could be the winner of three adorable QKR Stampede images.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Count Your Blessings

      Sharing another Thanksgiving card today and this one was really quick and simple.  The image is clip art, printed in gray scale, and colored with markers.  What made it quick is that I had colored this image months ago but it was in a folder of images waiting to be used.

      I cut the image piece with a QuicKutz die, then cut brown CS with another QuicKutz die for the mat behind the image.  I searched the scrap basket and found those two bits of dp which originally came from a DCWV stack.  The tiny leaves on the left hand paper are heat embossed with glittery EP.  The pumpkin is fabric and was cut from a strip of ribbon pumpkins.

     Challenges:

Classic Designs

Creatalicious

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Jan's Digi Stamps

Outlawz Monday

Path of Positivity

Triple B

     I'll have another card to share tomorrow and even one for Thanksgiving Day.  Hope you'll stop by on those days, too.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Haunted Night

      I'm delighted to have been invited to be a Guest Designer at the C.R.A.F.T. challenge this week and the challenge is sponsored by both Trimgym (fantastic digital papers!) and The Cutting Cafe.  Since I don't have a machine that can use electronic cutting files, I chose one of the digital papers from Trimgym (<--- check out the link - the dp I used happens to be a freebie you can get, along with several others :-D) and an image from my collection of digis to make this fun and haunting card which fits right in with the Halloween/Thanksgiving theme for this challenge.

     This funny "Stack of Jacks" image, along with the sentiment, both come from Beccy's Place, but they are from different stamp sets.  I merged the sentiment onto the image before printing, then colored with my Sanjoki markers.  BTW, the image was printed in light brown instead of black (the magic of Word!) and it makes the image look more "lineless."  :-D   

     I cut the image with a die from Tonic Studios.  I inked the edges and layered it directly onto the magnificent digi paper from Trimgym.  I kept it very CAS, no embellishment of any kind since I'm going to mail this to one of my grandsons for Halloween.

     This is as perfect image for me.  From my childhood days, I have loved carving pumpkins into Jack-o-Lanterns, and the spookier the better.  I don't know that I ever tried a one-eyed, cyclops Jack but I may have to try that this year.  :-D

     Challenges:

Art Impressions

Creative Inspiration

Double D

LeighSBDesigns

Most Magical Time ...

Outlawz Fri

Outlawz Thurs

Paper Shelter

Pattie's Creations

     Why not get something made that will fit into either the Halloween or Thanksgiving theme and come enter it into our challenge this week?  We love being inspired by you.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pumpkin Kisses

      I love the images in this set from Jan's Digi Stamps!  The set is called "Fresh from the Farm" and I've used some of the lesser image, merged together to create this image.  The sentiment is also part of the set.

     The image and the frame were each cut with a die from Spellbinders.  The "butterfly" bow was one I tied and wrapped using 1 inch grosgrain ribbon and 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon, plus my bow maker.  The ribbons were originally white but I dyed them with ProMarkers to get the colors I wanted.  Pretty CAS card even though it looks a lot more complex.

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Creative Knockouts

Dream Valley

Inspiration Station (autumn colors & harvest)

Outlawz Thur Twist

Pammie's IP

Paper Funday

Word Art Weds

Your Next Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pumpkins and Sunflowers

      I'm posting this particular card (for Beccy's 30 Days of Holidays) completely out of the alphabetical order but there's a quick story behind it.  Late last month, I was invited to become part of a DT where I had only begun playing, FarmQuest.  It's a fun challenge with easy themes, all of which are in some way farm/country related.  No limit on what kinds of projects you can submit; cards, journals, scrapbooking, ATCs, tags, bookmarks, whatever you desire as long as it meets the theme.  Challenges start on the 14th and the 28th of each month.

     The theme at FarmQuest this challenge is "Pumpkins or Turkeys or Cranberries."  Because we don't use sponsors, I was free to use whatever image I wanted and I chose this one from Beccy's Place because of the fabulous Pumpkins.  Obviously, that plays right in to the letter "P" so I'm posting this one a few days before the Letter "P" actually comes up.  I also have ProMarkers, Papers, and Printing.  The image was cut with a CUTplorations die, as was the background paper.  The sentiment was hand printed and fussy cut.  I used sheer ribbon and my bow maker to tie the multi-loop bow.  I added a fabric pumpkin to the bow.

I used colors from the challenge at My Favorite Things.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Gals Corner

I Love ProMarkers

Inspiration Station

Outlawz Thurs Twist

Paperbabe

Paper Funday

Word Art Weds

     If you haven't played in the challenge at FarmQuest before this, I invite you to create something with a Pumpkin or a Turkey or Cranberries (or two or all of them!) and come play in the challenge.  We'd love to see our player-ship grow.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

30 Days of Holidays - Letter "H"

      I'm doing my best to get back on track and catch up with the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and I'm getting closer.  Yesterday was the Letter "H" and on my card I used:  Hexagons, Harvested pumpkin, Holiday (Thanksgiving), Harvest gold, Hansa yellow, and Honey orange; these three colors are in the fall leaves still clinging to the tree branch.

     This time I printed the Autumn Window image (from Beccy's Place) in medium gray scale, then colored it with ProMarkers and gel pens.  I cut the image and all the frames/mats with dies from QuicKutz.  I cut the card shape with the largest QuicKutz die in that set.  I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die.  I found one of my hand-sewn, 'signature' style bows in my stash, and 'dyed' it with a ProMarker.  This time, I added an orange sequin.  

     I spend a weekend about once every 3 to 4 months, sewing together those bows by the dozens.  I use nothing but white ribbon to make them and then I can dye them whatever color I need to work best with the colors of the card I'm making.

      Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Gals Corner

Gem of a Challenge

LeighSBDesigns

Paper Funday

Pattie's Creations

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     See you tomorrow with another post and another holiday card.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Vintage Pumpkin Witch

      I've used 3 other vintage Halloween images this month but those were all from Lilli Rin and this one is from Taylor Made.  I've already entered the Taylormadecards4u challenge this month but I still wanted to share this card.  

     The image is pre-colored and I cut it to size with my Fiskars paper cutter.  The polka dot ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and the small pumpkin is fabric.  Pretty CAS design on this card.

This is also my Day 22 entry for the
 LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop.

 

     Challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Double D

Double Trouble (circles + Halloween)

Inspiration Station (large pumpkin)

Pammie's Inky ...

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

SUYP Cats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sweet Autumn Kitty

      This sweet image from Conie Fong is called "Sweet Autumn Kitty" and it's on sale for only $2.00!   I used it for one of my DT Inspiration cards this month.  I admit I fell in love with the kitty, knew right away it had to be a black cat for Halloween, and started coloring with my water color paints.  I was able to use my favorite Halloween colors, black, purple, and orange.

     I printed the sentiment with the image and, once I finished coloring, I cut the image with a die from Gina Marie.  I layered it onto a black card and did no embellishing at all.  I wanted the image and the die cut frame to be the focus of attention.

This is also my Day 3 entry into the 

LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop. 

     Challenges:

4 Season

Double Trouble (all 3)

Dragonfly Dreams

Dream Valley

Jan's Digi Stamps

LeighSB 31 Days ...

Outlawz SAR

Pammie's Inky ...

There's a Stamp ...

     Check out our October/November challenge at Conie Fong where you can enter either 'coloring only' or 'completed projects' entries which use Conie Fong images.  We'd love to see what you create and you could win some of Conie's fabulously fun images.  :-D

     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

Sunflower Pumpkin

      Today I'm sharing another DT card for Conie Fong and this one features a gorgeous (and fun to color) new image called "Sunflower Pumpkin."  It comes in either a .png version or in jpg and it's ON SALE!  I used the .png version and I merged in 1 individual pumpkin on the left side of the image, reversed.  The sentiment is also by Conie Fong and comes with the set.  I merged it below the image before printing.

     I used water color paints and ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a stitched die from CUTplorations.  I inked the edges of the image with a ProMarker.  The background paper was a scrap I found in the basket which had perfect autumn colors in it which enhanced the image.  I'm pretty sure it was from a DCWV scrapbooking stack.

     The bow was hand-tied and 'dyed' orange with ProMarkers.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

CRAFT-alnica

I Love ProMarkers

LeAnn's World

Let's Craft & Create

Not 2 Shabby

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paper Funday

Rabisco

Word Art Weds

     Come play in our challenge!  You can use any Conie Fong image and there are even freebies available on the Challenge site on FB if you don't already have some in your collection.  

 

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Thanksgiving Sharing

      Another challenge starts today at QKR Stampede and runs for the next 2 weeks.  My DT card features an image called "Scarecrow and Friends" and I thought it really reflected the sharing we do at Thanksgiving when we all gather and share the feast (if not the cooking - lol) before us.  Sharing is just part of gratitude and thankfulness, I've found.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and cut with a Spellbinders die.  The darker paper (which is dry embossed and lightly sanded) and the kraft CS pieces are scraps from the basket, as is the dp framing the fussy cut sentiment.  The pumpkin is fabric and the ribbon is grosgrain.  Everything was mounted onto a piece of white CS which I embossed with my Linen EF.

       I love coloring critters and use far more critter images than people but I'm trying to improve my coloring on people so I've begun looking for and using images which combine critters and people.  Here's another one.  To me, coloring fur or feathers is easier than coloring human faces and hair.

I chose my colors from the board at CMH Color Dare #468.

blue/orange/brown/tan/red + B&W

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Crafty Catz

Colour Crazy

Cutie Pie

Di's Digi Designs

Incy Wincy

Outlawz PAM

Pixie's Snippets

Three Room Studio

     I hope you'll come over and play in our challenge this fortnight.  We always have an "Anything Goes" theme so you may enter any card you like.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Not Very Spooky

      It's the middle of the month so time for the start of another Challenge over at QKR Stampede.  We have two challenges every month; one on the 1st and one on the 15th .  Be sure to check the challenge blog to see if you were a winner or one of the Top 3 for the last challenge.

     It's October so of course I had to do a Halloween card.  QKR has some of the cutest Halloween/autumn images I've seen anywhere and I love coloring them.  This image is called, appropriately enough, "Halloween Kitty."  I love the expression on his face.  Can't you just see that he's waiting for 'The Great Pumpkin' (of Peanuts fame)?  I'm sure he and Linus are sitting together in the pumpkin patch, hoping their patch gets chosen as the best in the world.  :-D

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then fussy cut it with scissors.  I cut two fancy rectangles with a Spellbinders die, offset them on a pumpkin-orange card base, then layered the image onto them.  I added two scraps of  ribbon, layered one on top of the other.   I made one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, using white ribbon but then 'dying' it with ProMarkers to get the color I wanted.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut.

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

Cute Card Thurs

House...Stamps Built

Mod Squad

Passion for Markers

Penny's Paper Crafty

SUYP Cats

     Come play along with us in this challenge.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and you can use any kind of image you like, from any company or artist.  But, if you choose to use a QKR Stampede image (or one from our sister company Eureka Stamps), your entry will be put into a completely separate draw and that significantly increases your chance of being a winner!  Good luck and see you in the challenge.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

When Black Cats Prowl ...

      This fabulous image is from a set by my dear friend, Donna Ellis, and the set is also the prize at the current Inspiration Station challenge.  I just had to do this card to show it off.  :-D

     I merged the sentiment and the image before printing it in gray scale.  I used my ProMarkers to color the image and added a few highlights with a white gel pen.  I cut the image with a QuicKutz rectangle die and then used a Fiskars punch on three of the corners.  The black, glitter paper is from a DCWV stack (now retired), and the purple corners are dp from Paper House.  

     I added one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, plus a row of gemstones across each of the lower corners.  The bow has a tiny butterfly on it which was a drop-out piece from a Spellbinders die used for a different project months ago.

     Challenges:

Colouring in Scrapland

Cupcake Inspirations

Double D

Lemon Shortbread

Mirtillamente

Mod Squad

Simon Says Stamp

SUYP Cats

TTCRD

Two Old Bats

     Have a great day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Kitties in the Pumpkin Patch

      These adorable kittens, all siblings from the same litter I'm sure, are spending November evening in the pumpkin patch under the full moon.  The image, called "Pumpkin Kitties," is one of the newest releases from Conie Fong and it's on sale for another day or two.  

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut the image with a Die-Namics stitched die.  I layered two of the dp together, then cut them with a CUT-plorations die.  The background dp is from a K & Co. stack.  I added a strip of grosgrain ribbon and tied a triple loop bow, using sheer ribbon from my stash of scraps.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Cute Card Thurs

Creative Fingers

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Scrapping4Fun

TicTacToe

 (Diagonal: Ribbon/ Coloring/ Animal)

Uniko

     Don't forget to come and play in one of our two challenges this month.  We have one for colored Conie Fong images only and a second one for completed projects using Conie Fong images.  Both can be found on the Facebook site.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

State Fair Gnomes

      Conie Fong has some of the most adorable gnomes and I'm going to be sharing DT cards using some of the newly released gnomes this month.  This is my first one and the image is called "Pumpkin Gnome."  The set comes with 4 Gnome images (facing right and left) and 2 sentiments and it's ON SALE for $2.00 right now!  Go check it out.  

     These happy gnomes seem to be so proud of their harvest and are on their way to enter them into the competition at the state fair.  :-D

     I merged the right and left facing gnomes into a single image, and added my own sentiment before printing.  I colored it with my ProMarkers, then cut it with a large, square, QuicKutz die.  I used a ProMarker to ink the edges of the image.  The dp was a scrap which I cut into smaller pieces before adding it to the card front.  I had embossed the card front with my Linen EF for a slight bit of texture.

     I hand tied the double-loop, grosgrain, bow with the help of my bow maker and added it to the top corner.  I think this is a card which could be used for either a guy or a gal.

          Challenges:

As You Like It (squares over circles because they don't require a die to cut them.  :-D )

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Dare 2B Artzy

Lil Patch of ...

Paperbabe

Pattie's Creations

Polkadoodles

     Don't forget that Conie Fong has two challenges which each run for an entire month over on the Facebook page.  One is for coloring only and the other is for completed projects like this one.  You do have to use a Conie Fong image but with this one on sale (along with one or two others - check out the Pumpkin Kitties, too!) and with so many cute, cute, CUTE images, how can you resist?  We hope to see you there.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie