Monday, November 30, 2020

Anything Goes at Beccy's Place

      This is the final day of 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and the prompt is to "Do What you Love," so pretty much an "Anything Goes" theme.  I love hanging the Christmas stockings, I love Beccy's pre-colored images (especially when I can't sit long enough to color them myself, which I also love), I love Cardinals in the winter, I love glitter and sparkle, I love fancy frame dies, and I love playing all month long in November each year when it's time for the month-long, daily challenges at Beccy's Place.  All of those went into this final card.  


I started by using sketch #195 from Sweet Sketch Weds.


Pre-colored image
Image cut w/ Frantic Stamper dies
Circles cut w Sizzix dies
Scrap bits of dp
Gold and green glitter paper from Recollections
Pearl white ribbon scrap 
     (which was crooked but I straightened it!)

     Challenges:

     Thank you, Beccy, for another marvelous November!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Cats and Christmas !

      It's time for the next weekly challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and, this being a 5th Monday, we have a theme: "Animals."  Since it's also the last day of November, Thanksgiving is behind us, and we're thinking about Christmas, I did a fun Christmas gift card holder which is long enough to hold money.  

     The image is from Mo's Digital Pencil and Pammie is giving a gift certificate to Mo's store as the prize for this challenge.


Here's what it looks like from the inside when open.
 
Colored with ProMarkers
Image cut w/ QuicKutz die
Embossed with Holly Leaves EF
Tri-Fold to make the wallet
Metallic sparkle ribbon

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting and I hope you're going to come and play with us this week.  NanaConnie

"W" Means Wreath

      Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas is getting down to the last of the alphabet prompts and this is the last post I had pre-scheduled so we'll see what happens with the other 2 or 3.  I may run out of days to get them posted since today is already the 29th and I have DT cards to post on the 1st.

      In any case, this one is for "W" and I used: Wreath (Beccy's image), White, and Winter flowers (die cut poinsettias.)


Colored w/ ProMarkers
Cut w Sizzix die
Sentiment cut w/ Die-Versions die
Poinsettias cut w/ combo of dies by 
   Impression Obsession & Dee's Distinctively
Gold & Silver glitter paper

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Friday, November 27, 2020

Vintage Cottage

      It's time for the Letter "V" for 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place.  I used one of her images showing a delightful cottage and I printed it in sepia tone to enhance the Vintage look.  The sentiment about Visitors gave me one additional "V" for the prompt.  

     My fear is that with all the Covid quarantine rules, we'll have a solitary Christmas without visitors just like we did Thanksgiving.


Door wreath colored w pencil
Single layer card
Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die
CAS

     Challenges:
Time Out

      Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Ride Home

      I know this seems like a crazy time to do a Halloween card but I love doing Halloween cards and I figure if we can undertake Christmas cards all year 'round, why not do all my Halloween cards throughout the year?  Besides, there's a fun new challenge where Halloween is always the theme, called Two Old Bats, and I want to play in it.  Since it runs each month from the 2nd to the 28th, I have to get this posted!  :-D

     This image is another one which was sent to me by a friend after I lost all my digital images when the flash drive crashed.  Consequently, I have no idea who made it or where she got it but I do love it.  I think the cat has her minions, the bats, flying her home at the end of a long Halloween night.  They better hurry - it's almost sunrise.

     What little coloring there is was done with chalks and a cotton swab and took me about 5 minutes!


Image cut w QuicKutz die
Yellow CS cut w Die-namics die
Purple CS cut w Gina Marie die
Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die
Gold glitter paper for border strip

     I will have a second post today with a more season appropriate Christmas card.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Upright Nutcracker Soldiers in their Uniforms

      I know you are all thinking that I copied Beccy's idea for the Letter "U" prompt in this year's 30 Days of Christmas but this quick and easy card was made before she posted her Nutcracker card.  I acknowledge that I chose them mostly because of their Uniforms but then realized I could add Upright because they were standing so straight and tall.

     The image is one of Beccy's pre-colored images, trimmed into a rectangle, and cut with a Fiskar's corner punch.  The glittery red stripe was made with scraps and the sentiment is hand-trimmed on the corners.  The red CS front was embossed with my 'Linen' EF.


     Challenges:

Thanksgiving Blessings

 





Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Crafty Chefs & Beccy's Place "T" for Trees

      My card today combines two of my favorite places; the ongoing 30 Days of Christmas 2020 at Beccy's Place and the Crafty Chefs 'stretch your wings' group on Facebook where we play with a different recipe each month just to push the outside edges of our creative comfort zones.  We'd love to have more folks join us over there so check it out.  All fun, no stress, you're only challenging yourself, we promise.  You'll find the new recipe for December posted on Crafty Chefs today. :-D

     At Beccy's Place, we're using the letter "T" as our prompt and I used Trees and Tidings.  I did a Joy Fold card using the Trees image from Beccy's.


 
Open showing inside 
Image flap open showing double sided CS

Image & Sentiment merged before printing
Image cut w QuicKutz die & sides trimmed straight
Image mounted on double sided CS
Mini gems added for snowflake effect
Inside and outside dp were left over scraps
Sheer ribbon wrapped and tied into a square knot

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

"S" for Shepherds Abiding

      I've done as many cards as possible for the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and I'm pre-scheduling my posts through the end of the month.  Today's card uses Beccy's Shepherd with a Sheep and I merged 1 additional Sheep, plus I've used Sage green and Sandstone in the CS colors.  The image is pre-colored and cut with Scalloped frame dies.


Image and frame cut w Tonic Studios dies
Burgundy and Sandstone CS layers
Stitched ribbon from scrap basket
Hand-tied bow using satin ribbon

     Challenges:
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Monday, November 23, 2020

Reindeer Ready to Rein Up

      In case you didn't figure it out from the title, this card is based on the Letter "R" prompt at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas.  These adorable reindeer are drawn by Beccy.  I merged them before printing, duplicating one, and all of them are pre-colored.

     In addition to Reindeer and Ready to Rein Up, I have Ruby Red, Real green, Ribbon and Runners on the sleigh full of presents.


Image cut w QuicKutz die
Edges inked w ProMarkers
Glitter added to bells on their collars
Scrap bit of dp
Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die
Polka dot bow dyed red

     Challenges:

     Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I'm going to be away from crafting for several days.  I do have pre-scheduled posts which will go live each day so you may not even miss me but I'm going to be spending even less time at the computer than I was with the back problems.  Someone will be linking up to the challenges but other than that, I'll be away.   NanaConnie

Sunday, November 22, 2020

"Q" for Quiet Christmas & Quilt

      I'm working on the letter prompt "Q" at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas and that's one of the hardest letters since there really isn't a lot in the crafting world which starts with a "Q" other than quilting and quilling, neither of which are all that specific to Christmas.  Nevertheless, I managed to use one of my Quilting dies and do a card reflecting a Quiet Christmas Day.  The image is from Beccy's and was one I had colored but not used when I was doing cards for this last year.  So happy to have it now.  :-D

     I wish I could have added that it was a Quick card but it wasn't.  I spent parts of 2 days getting this one made, what with all the fussing and fitting and trying to match directionality of the plaid!  Not really the thing to do with a sore back but it occupied both mind and body for Quite a lot of time.  This gentle image just felt right for this year when so many of us are having to trim down our Christmas celebrations due to the Covid-19 shut downs.


Colored w ProMarkers
Quilt die from Stampin' Up
Papers were all scrap bits from Echo Park

     Challenges:
SheepSki Designs

     That's all for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Saturday, November 21, 2020

Penguin Christmas

      Today the alphabet letter prompt at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas is "P" and I used a darling Penguin from Beccy's.  I also used ProMarkers and a Polka dot bow.


Image cut w Unbranded die
Glittered & embossed dp
Red lace
3 sequins

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Friday, November 20, 2020

"O" is for Ornament

      I'm behind again on my posting but the catch up will be slow.  I'm posting 2 cards today and this is the one using the Letter "O" prompt.  Both are part of my contribution to the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place.  I used one of Beccy's Ornament images and it is pre-colored.  I made an Off or Over the Edge card, and cut my ornament & the frame into Oval shapes.  Finally, I added an Onyx black bow.

    With the pre-colored image, this was a very quick card to make.



Here's another view showing better how 
the image is "Off the edge" of the card front.

Pre-colored image
Cut with QuiKutz dies
Noel cut w Die-Versions die
Black signature bow w pearl

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Scrappy Snowman!

      I'm finding myself changing how I'm making cards because of the painful back problems and I'm trying to use either pre-colored images or images I had colored already but put away for later use because it means less time spent sitting when I can eliminate the coloring time.  Fortunately, for the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place, I found half a dozen images in a folder which I had colored but not used last year.  Additionally, Beccy has pre-colored images in most of her sets and I can use those, too.

     Today's card uses one of  Beccy's images I had from last year and this is for the third of the "Wild Card" themes, which is 'Use Scraps.'  All the bits and pieces of dp on this card were left over from an Echo Park paper stack which I have been using for many of the Christmas cards I've done this month.  The exception to that are the two bits of glittered red paper.  Those are from a sheet I made previously using sticker paper and loose glitter.

     Doesn't this snowman look a bit like a gnome?  Does that make him a Gnowman?  lol  

     I adore snowmen and would use them year round if I could find a reason to do so.  Of all the Christmas/winter characters, my favorites are penguins and snowmen but I use more snowmen because I have more snowman images.  Well, I did have more before the thumb drive crash!  Sigh, now that I'm starting over, who knows?


Colored w ProMarkers
Paper scraps
Sentiment from Memory Box die

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thursday, November 19, 2020

It's All about the CANDY !

      Now you know as well as I do that when it comes to kids and Christmas, it's always all about the candy so when one of them finds that a Christmas stocking is filled with nothing but candy, it's definitely a time to celebrate!  lol

     This image is the freebie from the Progressive Challenge at Imagine That!  I'm delighted to say that after closing the store and challenge some time back, Kris has found it possible to reopen both of them.  Check it out!  Here's my card using the freebie - fortunately, I had it colored and ready to go before the back problems set in so I didn't have to sit very long to get the card completed.

           

Colors came from My Favorite Things.

Colored w ProMarkers
Cut w Tonic Studios die
Paper from Imagine That!
Sheer ribbons for both the wrap & the bow
Sentiment was fussy cut

     Challenges:
Tues Throwdown

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thankful for Your Friendship

      I wanted to do another autumn card for the midway reminder of our monthly challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps.  This image is a secondary image from the Autumn Friends set and the sentiment is from that same set.  The basket of leaves is merged with the rake and sentiment.  They are three separate items within the set.

     I made this a lengthwise, easel card, and the inside sentiment is the 'stopper' and I think  it's a perfect way to tell a friend how thankful I am for their friendship.  :-D


Colored w ProMarkers
Chalks used to 'sponge' the borders
Card front is embossed with leaf EF

     Challenges:
Double Trouble (center column)
TTCRD

     Happy crafting and don't forget to come  and play with us this month.  NanaConnie

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

N is for Noel

      My back problem is not getting any better and sitting for any activity (coloring, typing, eating) is getting more and more difficult so today I opted for a card made with a die cut image instead of using a Beccy's Place image on my "N" card at the 30 Days of Christmas challenges.  The NOEL sentiments were cut with a Die-Versions die.  The snowman was done with a Cheery Lynn die set.


     Challenges:
Lil Patch of...
Word Art Weds

Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie    

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

A GDT Project for Colouring in Scrapland

      I have to start with a huge apology for this being a day and a half late but I'm really having some serious problems with my back and it's so painful to sit at the keyboard that I forgot abut being a Guest Designer for Colouring in Scrapland this challenge.   Our sponsor is Odd Ball Art and our theme is to make tags.  I had mine done more than a month ago; I just didn't write up the post.

  
                     Front                                             Back

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut w Unbranded die
Fibers are scraps from the ribbon basket

     Challenges:
Passion for Promarkers

     I hope we're going to see you laying in the challenge.  The holidays are a perfect time to be making tags.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Monday, November 16, 2020

Mistletoe Kisses

      Time for my "M" card in the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and I'm using her Mistletoe image.  I can also claim using a bow Maker, the color Magenta, and Markers to color the image.


I took colors from the bottom row of the board

Colored w ProMarkers and gel pens
Image & Sentiment cut w CUTplorations dies
Bow tied using bow maker
Paper was a scrap from the basket
Strip of magenta ribbon on right also a scrap
Everything mounted onto magenta card base

     Challenges:
Double Trouble (middle column + sentiment)
Stamping Sensations

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Christmas Reindeer

      There's a new challenge starting today over at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and our theme is "Anything Goes."  Our sponsor is Newton's Nook and they have some of the cutest stamps anywhere!  However, today I created a classic Christmas animal using my newest Tutti Designs dies.  Can you recognize it?

     Did you know that despite their names, Santa's reindeer all have to be females?  No, it's true.  You can tell just by looking at any picture of them because only female reindeer keep their antlers all year round.  The males shed their antlers and start growing a new and larger set in the spring.  

     And that explains the sweep of curled hair, the fancy glasses, and the sparkly bow!  lol


Sentiment cut w Die-Versions die
Each color is a different scrap

     Challenges:
Pixie's Snippets

     That's all I have for now but there will be another post later today so be sure to check back.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Gratitude Season

      This morning, you get two cards in the same DT post for our newest "Anything goes" challenge at QKR Stampede.  The first one uses an image and a sentiment from our sister company, Eureka Stamps, and the image is called "Fall Harvest."


Colored with chalks, ProMarkers, and gel pens
Edges of card front are chalked
Burlap twine bow, wrapped w fabric
CAS design

     Challenges:

     For the second card, I've used another Eureka Stamps sentiment, making it the focus of the card, and it's called "Season of Change."


Sentiment cut w QuicKutz die
Edges inked w ProMarkers
Background pieces are done w fall & winter watercolors
Mesh ribbon is sparkly
2 bows: 1 from satin ribbon, 2nd from sparkle twine

     Challenges:

     I hope we're going to see you playing along at QKR Stampede this time.  Remember, our theme is always "Anything Goes" and you can use any products from any company.  However, if you do use a QKR Stampede image (or one from Eureka Stamps), your entry goes into a completely separate draw and that increases your chance of winning by quite a lot.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Saturday, November 14, 2020

"L" is for Lamb of God

      Another alphabet prompt at Beccy' Place 30 Days of Christmas today and it's the Letter "L."  This manger scene is one of Beccy's sweet Christmas images and works as a great trio with my "J" and "K" cards earlier this week.  However much I adore cutesy Christmas animals, and love using them on cards, the best Christmas animals are always the Little Lambs, donkeys, and camels we see sharing their Love of the Little Lord Jesus in all the Nativity scenes.  

     On this card, I used Layers of ribbon, and did Lettering for the sentiment, plus I colored His halo with Lemon peel colored pencil.


Colored w ProMarkers & pencils
Gray CS front embossed w "Linen" folder
Wide ribbon is embossed with gold
Sheer ribbon for bow is triple layered
Sentiment printed onto image

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas  (X-tra Special)

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Be Thankful and Cuddle Your Kitties

      Remember the old saying, "When all else fails, cuddle your teddy"?  Well, this is how I'm doing the holidays in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic this year; "Be Thankful and Cuddle Your Kitties!"  After all, they've been here with me through all nine months of it, every minute of every day of the miserable lock downs and stay-at-home orders.  I'm very grateful for them.  :-D



     The image is from Paper Nest Dolls and was provided for the Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz.

Colored w ProMarkers
Cut w Sizzix die
Red CS is negative die cut leftover, trimmed to fit card front
Tan CS embossed w 'BirchTrees' EF
Signature bow is hand sewn

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Friday, November 13, 2020

Holiday Joy

     Let me start by apologizing to all of you whose blogs I follow because I haven't been around to visit or comment in a couple of weeks.  Right now, I'm having painful back problems and I can only sit at the computer keyboard for so long and then I have to quit.  The break periods are getting longer and more frequent and the periods of actual productivity are getting shorter and there are fewer of them.  I'm down to about 20 minutes of work, then a break of an hour or so before I can go back to the keyboard.

     By the time I get my DT commenting obligations done, and type up a post for the day, my back is pretty much done so there is little time for visiting and commenting on the blogs of those of you I dearly love.  I'm hoping it will get better with more rest so forgive me if you are visiting me regularly and I'm not returning the huge compliment that is.  My visits will return, I promise!

     Today I want to share a card I did for the Sketch Challenge at The Outlawz, which Jan's Digi Stamps is sponsoring this month.  My card features one of Jan's older sets, called "Holiday Joy," and it's one of my favorites.  It reminds me of those childhood days when we watched the mailbox, hoping for Christmas cards with interesting stamps and post marks, and even the occasional package because everything went through the US mail back in those days before Fed Ex.  Even though I know UPS existed back then, we rarely saw their brown trucks in residential neighborhoods because mostly they delivered big boxes which were beyond the weight limits of the post office and those went primarily to businesses.

     By the way, Jan's has a fantastic sale going on many of her holiday sets and there's even a freebie available over at the store.  Check it out by clicking right there ----->  Jan's Digi Stamps

 

I flipped the sketch top to bottom because the merged sentiment
fit better at the bottom than it did at the top.

Colored w ProMarkers
Highlights added w white gel pens
Image cut w QuicKutz die
Papers from Recollections
Glitter strips made using loose glitter & sticker paper

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting, my friends.  NanaConnie

We, Three Kings - Letter "K"

      Today is the day for the Letter "K" at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas and  I used Beccy's 3 Kings, plus Khaki, Kelly Green in the ribbon, and Kraft.  The two Kings in the background are pre-colored and the one in the front is hand-colored.


Colored w ProMarkers
Cut w Spellbinders die
2 Kings mounted onto Kraft CS + Khaki green CS
Single King is fussy cut
Tri-color ribbon & bow are scraps
Sentiment printed & hand cut

     Challenges:
Your Next Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Thursday, November 12, 2020

Second "Wild Card" at Beccy's Place

      Well, we've gotten through the alphabet as far as the Letter J in the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and now we have another "theme" card instead of an alphabet letter so polish up your thinking cap and find something new that you've never done before.  Beccy has such a great collection of tutorials and "how to"s on the blog that I went to that page of her blog and found a style called "Building Block" card.

     It took me two practice tries before I completed this card, but I like the end result even though I modified it from a Z-fold to a regular A2.  Here are photos of both the card front and the inside when opened.  This also could count as the first "pop-up" of any kind that I've ever done!  It all folds flat for mailing.



I've used this Winter Window image from  Beccy's Place every holiday season since it was first released and I've colored it in all shades of gray, brick red, sandstone, and now I've gone with blues.  This was the first one I bought of the 4 seasonal windows Beccy has (now in a set, too) and it's definitely a favorite of mine.

Colored w ProMarkers & gel inks
Image cut w Gina Marie die
"Brick" EF by Darice
Metallic papers
Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die
Inside letters cut w QuicKutz die

     Challenges:

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Jesus - the Reason for the Season

     Saying Thank You to all Military Veterans and their families!

     Today is the day for the Letter "J" in the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and my card not only features the Baby Jesus but also an altered "Joy-fold" card which Beccy showed us a week or so ago.  It was fun to make but I had to look up instructions for a regular "Joy-fold" and then look back at Beccy's alteration in order to figure it all out.  I also used Jonquil marker for the straw in the manger.

     I hope my photos will help you see how it works, but be sure to check out Beccy's instructions, too. 

  Front

Inside

Colored w ProMarkers
Image is fussy cut
Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die
Papers from Your Next Stamp
Sparkle cord for hand-tied bow

     Challenges:
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Happy Mistletoe

      I know there's a specific day for celebrating Christmas, and for those of us in Canada and the US, Thanksgiving Day (even though we do that on two different days), and even your birthday whenever it rolls around, but I think we should recognize and celebrate as many days of "Happy Mistletoe" as possible throughout the holiday season.   It won't be as much fun kissing through our Covid-9 masks but...  Maybe we could turn it into an entire Festival so it can be celebrated in upcoming years when we aren't in the middle of a pandemic.  :-D

     This card uses a fun image from Bugaboo Stamps which I colored last year and never used so it's definitely time now.  It was safely tucked away in the stash of Christmas images, along with about 6 others all colored and waiting.


I based this on the sketch from Sketch Saturday
although I had to adjust the exact placement
because of using up the negative die cut snowflake.

I also used colors from the bottom row at CMH Color Dare.


Colored w ProMarkers
Cut w QuicKutz die
Snowflake is a negative cut w Spellbinders die
Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die
Silver glitter added to make the snowflake
Silver ribbon and red ribbon were both scraps

     Challenges:
Time Out

     Happy Crafting until tomorrow.  NanaConnie

I for Ice, Ice Skates, and Impossible !

      We're on to the Letter "I" in the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and that's a difficult letter for me because my Imagination seems to have flagged a bit after yesterday's marathon of card making to get caught up.  :-D  But I did have this fun Ice Skating Santa image from Beccy's Place so I colored him in traditional colors but used Ivory for his face color.  I colored the ground beneath him to look like an Ice pond, making sure his Ice Skate was clearly touching it.  I used Icy-looking, glittered dp and ribbon to complete the cold winter scene.

     My one critique would be how nearly Impossible it would be for Santa to look so graceful while ice skating when he has all that bulk to carry around and keep balanced.  :-D


I used Sketch #194 from Sweet Sketch Wednesday,
turned a quarter turn so the rectangle
is at the bottom and adjusted for A2.


Colored w ProMarkers
Cut w Sizzix dies
Glittered white dp is a scrap
Silver snowflake ribbon is a scrap
Sentiment printed, fussy cut, and matted

     Challenges:
Passion for ProMarkers

     I will have a second post today but it won't be for Beccy's Place.  Nope, I actually made a couple of cards (during my marathon session the other night when I couldn't sleep) which have nothing to do with the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place, although they are Christmas themed cards.  :-D  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie