A Steampunk-y Christmas

      It's been ages since I did anything steampunk but my sis-in-law has a grandson who adores steampunk and when she saw this steampunk rabbit image in my collection of images from SheepSki Designs, she wanted to turn it into a Christmas image, even though it wasn't drawn as one.  I think she did a fantastic job by using traditional Christmas colors to get the effect she wanted.

     I took her colored image (pencils), cut it and the red frame with QuicKutz dies, and decorated the corners of each with Fiskars punches.  I found a scrap of dp for the background in my Christmas papers stash and thought it worked well with the steampunk aspect.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a Tonic Studios die.

     For embellishment that heightened the steampunk, I dug through my drawer full of charms and found a little baggie filled with tiny gears and cogs and other metal bits, many of them actual old watch parts.  I bought those more than a dozen years ago at a Michael's store and haven't used them in longer than I can remember.  But they were perfect for this card!

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Crafts Galore Encore

Do Al(l) Kreatives

Kerst / Christmas

Lil Patch of ...

Peace on Earth

Sheepski Designs

     I may have an additional post today if I can find the time to sit down and write it.  My list of things still be be done before Christmas arrives grows longer and the number of hours I have to accomplish all of them grows shorter, and desperation is setting in!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Farm Country Birthday

      When I think of farms and country living, horses always come to mind.  So when I saw the theme for our latest FarmQuest challenge, "Things Found in a Barn," I started looking through my collection of images for a horse.

     This gorgeous clip art image was colored with pencils, blended with gamsol, then cut with a die from Spellbinders.  The kraft CS frame was also cut with a die from that same set.  The plaid dp came from a DCWV stack.  I printed the sentiment, cut it with scissors to get that particular shape, and matted it with a scrap of kraft CS.  I used jute cord for the hand-tied bow.

     Challenges:

Coloring w Pencils

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

Male Room

Pattie's Creations

Word Art Weds

     I hope you're going to take some time in the midst of the crazy holiday rush to have some personal play time and we'd love it if you came and joined in our challenge.  Just find an image of anything you might find in a barn (animals, tools, vehicles, feed or hay, etc.), make a card or other project, and enter it into our challenge.  

     FYI, you MUST check out the FQ challenge post this time.  There are some incredible AI images available for you to use if you choose.  Becca did a great job of putting those together for all the readers.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Season for Hot Chocolate

      When it's time for hot chocolate, everyone gets into the act, even sweet little foxes!  This delightful image came from a set by Pixel Art Foundry and I'm totally in love with it.  It comes in a pre-colored version but this time it was printed in a light grayscale, no line version.  Don't they look like they're taking a break from the holiday rush before they head into the final stretch of Christmas Eve madness?  lol  Kind of like me doing fairly CAS cards for the last dozen I have to get finished before this week ends.

     My sis-in-law pulled out her water color pencils to color the foxes, then added highlights with gel pens.  She used sparkle pens on the cocoa mugs.  Once colored, I cut the image with a Tonic Studios rectangle die and cut the corners with a Fiskars punch.  I found a large scrap of  green dp for the card front and layered on the image piece.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a QuicKutz die.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Cardz for Galz

Coloring w Pencil

C.R.A.F.T.

Digi Choosday

DL Art TT

Krafty Chicks

Outlawz Weds

     That's it for today.  Hopefully, I'll get at least 2 more cards done and posted tomorrow or over the weekend.  I should have cards to post every day next week but my plate is so full, I honestly don't know if I'll get them all posted even if they are finished and ready to give away on Christmas.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tree Topper Angel

     I'm so excited to share this beautiful angel tree topper which was made completely from things in our crafting stash, no cash outlay at all.  I say "our" stash because this this is yet another collaboration with my sis-in-law, Lainy.  

     She did the majority of the hands-on work on this doll, painting it completely including the face, designing and arranging the hair, and adding all the little embellishment bits.  My stash supplied all the 'fabrics', including laces, tassels, ribbon, trims, and even the cardboard used to make a cone shape under the skirt.  The wings were made from lace which was painted and glittered after it was shaped into wings.  The paint helped to hold the shape after it dried.

     Just so you can appreciate the amount of time it took to complete the angel, a good week was spent on the project, working every day and letting things dry completely between steps.  I wanted you to see a close up of it and photographing it on the tree just became impossible due to the height of the tree this year.

     Challenges:

Crafting Happiness

Crafty Calendar

Outlawz Saturday

The Holly & Ivy

     Back to the craft room for me.  I still have a dozen or so cards I have to finish before this week ends and that end is very close at hand.  But let me leave you with a quick pic of the angel in her proper place on the tree. 

    

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Snowflake Santa

      I have to share a card with a spectacular image which was colored by my sis-in-law using pastel Ohuhu markers and white gel pens.  Didn't she do an incredible job?  The image is clip art and I think originally it was a digital coloring book page but I sized it for a card before printing it.  

     After she colored it, I cut it with a QuicKutz die, then used a Fiskars punch on the corners.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a Tonic Studios die.  I decided to use blue glitter paper on the card front to enhance the soft blues in the image.  The two snowflake embellies are die cut foam and the dies were from Cottage Cuts.

     Challenges:

CRAFT-alnica

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

I Spy ...

Passion for Markers

Male Room

Penny's P-C

     Christmas is less than 2 weeks away and I'm still making cards!  Yikes!  Have you finished all of yours?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"Santa" on Vacation?

      This adorable little "Santa" cat has no intention of staying up all night on Christmas Eve, delivering presents to children all around the world.  In fact, if he is assigned that particular Santa chore, he's heading off on vacation the day before!

     The image is from Conjuror of Dreams and their challenge theme this month is, as always, Anything Goes but the optional theme is "Santa on Vacation."  This is my take on the vacation option.  :-D  

     The image is pre-colored, and I cut both it and the mat with dies from QuicKutz.   The sentiment was printed and cut with my Fiskars paper cutter.  I chose the glittery, red, card stock for background because I wanted a monochromatic look for this particular card.

I was inspired by the sketch at AAA Cards.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Double Trouble

Dragonfly Dreams

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR  (St. Nick & 'won't stay awake')

Pammie's PIP

Simon Says Stamp

     I may have a second post today but if not, I'll post tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Gnome for Christmas

      It's the day for a new challenge over at FarmQuest Country Christmas where our theme is always "Anything Country Christmas Goes."  We want to see outdoor Christmas scenes or decorations on the farmhouse, or nearly anything that is both Christmas and outdoorsy, but not big city streets or shopping malls or cityscapes.  

     I chose this clip art image with three gnomes on the Christmas Tree Farm.  I don't know the artist but if you do, please let me know.  I love to give proper credit where possible.  I colored the image with my Sanjoki markers, added highlights to their beards with a white gel pen, and cut the image with an old QuicKutz die.  I love the shape of it.  I inked the edges in red, then layered it onto a background of glittery, golden holly leaves.  That CS came from Paper Studios and the dp strip along the right hand side is a scrap from a DCWV stack.

     The glittery golden bow is from K & Co. and I thought it added exactly the proper amount of sparkle and glitz.  I admit, when it's Christmas, glitter is my absolute favorite and when it's combined with gold, that takes it over the top!  The sparkle adds so much to the festive feel of the holiday.  :-D

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Aloha Friday

Colorful Options

Crafty Catz

Creative Inspiration

Digi Choosday

Kerst / Christmas

Outlawz Friday

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in this challenge.  Just create something that celebrates both country and Christmas and you're in!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Village Crier

     It's another fortnight and that means a new challenge at FarmQuest General Store, where our theme is always "Anything Farm or Country Goes" and, for one more month, we are sponsored by QKR Stampede.  Since we're well into the Christmas Season, I decided it would be fun to celebrate an old English, country Christmas where the Crier went through the country streets of the village, sharing news and stories.

     The QKR image is called "Hear ye, Hear ye."  I printed the image and colored it with ProMarkers.  I cut it with a QuicKutz square die and then I inked the edges.  I thought that cute gingerbread dp made a great background with the added benefit of the kraft and red country colors.  It's from the Christmas scrap basket and I truly don't remember who made it.  I printed the sentiment, cut each piece with an Avery Elle die and then layered it onto the Crier's banner.

     Challenges:

CRAFT-alnica

Creative Fingers

Creative Knockouts

DL Art

Krafty Chicks

Let's Craft & Create

Outlawz Thurs

Pattie's Creations

     Happy Crafting and come play in our challenge.  You could win the 3 QKR Stampede images used by the DT in this challenge.  Be sure to check out the FQGS challenge blog to see all three of them.

     NanaConnie

Gingerbread and Mittens

      Signs of Christmas, that's what gingerbread men and mittens are and today we have a a new challenge starting at Inspiration Station.  Each month on the first Monday, we give you an inspiration photo and ask you to create a project based on what inspires you from the photo.  Let your imagination run as you look at the photo and see what might inspire your creativity!

     Here's the photo.

And here's my DT inspiration card.  I was inspired by Christmas, the traditional colors, and the gingerbread man cookie.

     I immediately thought about this image, which came from Beccy's Place, and I used Sanjoki and ProMarkers to color it.  Rather than die cut the image, I decided to fussy cut it with scissors, leaving a white border just outside of the gray shadow surrounding the image.  The sentiment is also from Beccy's and I printed it, then cut it with an Avery Elle die.  I hand-tied the tiny bow using 1/8" ribbon which has a sparkly gold border along each edge.  Fast card and very CAS.

     Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

A Perfect Time ...

Colorful Options

Crafting Challenge

Crafts Galore ...

Do Al(l) Kreatives

Kerst / Christmas

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

     Come play in our challenge this month, won't you?  We love seeing what you create.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Last Day of 30 Days of Holidays

      Here it is, my final card for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.  The last day theme is always "Do What You Love," kind of like Anything Goes but better because we get to use things we love.  For me, there are so many things I love to put on Christmas cards, but I think snowmen have to be at the top of the list.  Actually, if I could find a good reason, I'd do snowmen cards all year round.  :-D

     Today's card features one of Beccy's new snowmen, named Winston and released this year.  I thought he'd look great dressed in a burgundy hat and scarf with gold fringe and earmuffs.  I colored him with ProMarkers and added gold Stickles to the star.  I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die, then trimmed the corners with a Fiskars punch.  

     I wanted the card to sparkle so I dug through my stash of glitter CS scraps and pieced together the background on the card.  I love glitter and when it comes to Christmas cards, I always debate with myself about whether silver glitter or gold glitter is best.  In this case, I was able to use mostly silver glitter but the star has gold sparkle, so a combination of them is the absolute best!

     The image and the "Snowball Fight" sentiment were layered on, using a good amount of craft glue (which I've found is the most effective for attaching CS to glitter.)  Even the stickiest of double sided tapes tends to come loose and peel off of glittered CS after just a short time so glue it is.  

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Di's Digi Designs

Jingle Bells (sparkle & colors)

My Time to Craft

Polkadoodles

Send a Smile ...

     The Christmas season is really on top of us now but it's nice to have another 30 cards in my stash.  Ok, maybe 25 instead of 30 since I did use Thanksgiving as the holiday on 4 or 5 of my cards this month.  Still, my Christmas card stash is looking good this year because of all the other cards I've done between January and October.  I still have colored Christmas images waiting to be made into cards so I'll have several additional posts throughout December.

  

    In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Letter "Z" - 30 Days of Holidays

       Last letter of the alphabet and tomorrow is the last day of the Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas challenges.  "Z" is another one of those difficult prompts because very few Z words relate easily to Christmas but I did use a tutorial at Beccy's and made a Double Z Fold Card.  This one isn't in the  A - Z Folds tab but I did give you a link to the blog post where Beccy showed us the Double Z Fold.  There is a tutorial for a single Z fold in the A - Z Folds tab and it's much easier but I wanted the challenge of doing the Double Z fold.

     The candy cane image is from Beccy's Place and everything was done using up scraps, including the piece of CS on which the image was printed.  I colored the canes with ProMarkers (I used 'Vanilla' instead of white on the candy canes so it would better match the beige in the papers), then cut the image with a Die-namics stitched die.  I used my Scor-Pal board to make all the scores for fold lines, much more precise than trying to make the folds by hand without first scoring.  

     All the paper scraps were in the Christmas scrap stash and originally came from a stack by Graphic 45.  That particular stack of Christmas papers had to be one of my all time favorites. Unfortunately, that stack is used up except for the few scraps left in the basket, but then, it was probably 8 or 9 years old!

 

Here's a shot from the top showing the Z folds.

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Catz

Creative Creases

Creative Fingers

Cut It Up

Rudolph Days

Paper Shelter

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

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

Forest Gratitude

     Gratitude can take place anywhere and these animals that live in the woods are overflowing with a gratitude message.  What better day to share it than on Thanksgiving?  The card is my DT inspiration piece for FarmQuest and our challenge theme this fortnight is "Things found in the Woods."

     The image on the card was originally an ad from an old newspaper (c 1945) which I wasn't willing to destroy.  So I photocopied it, added a bit of color with pencils and Ohuhu markers, then sponged it with pale ivory ink from a worn out marker.  I loved the "old" look that gave to the paper.  I tore the image rather than cut it with scissors because I thought it gave a more rustic feel.  I chose a kraft card base, again more rustic than a plain white CS.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  The brown bits on either side of the image piece are washi tape with leaf shapes punched out.

     Challenges:

Digi Choosday

Krafty Chicks

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

    

     Come play with us this challenge.  I know you must be making the last (first???) of your Christmas cards by now and what better way to get into a country feel and enter a card with "Things in the Woods?"  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Angel & Letter "W"

     It's the day for "W" over at the 30 Days of Holidays for Beccy's Place and I've managed to play along each day.  I started the month of November thinking that I'd get maybe 14 or 15 cards done so I'm really proud of myself for being this far through the alphabet and having done a card for each letter and each of the theme challenges.  My "W"s are: White, Wings, Winter, & Webbing (the 'ribbon.')

     This is another card that's a collaboration with my sis-in-law, who colored this gorgeous little angel and then had me put together the card.  It's not that I don't do my own coloring any more but she just isn't into the card making side of things (not yet, anyway!) so we've fallen into a lovely pattern of taking her coloring and turning it into cards.  In between, I color my own images and make those into cards, too.

     Lainy hand-colored the angel (from Monsoon Publishing) with water color pencils, and I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die.  The sentiment (from Beccy's Place,) was cut with a QuicKutz die.  I inked the edges of both using an alcohol marker.  The wintery background dp came from an old (very old!) DCWV stack. The glittered webbing seem perfect to use as a wide ribbon and the glitter added wonderful sparkle (oooh, another "W"!)

     Challenges:

52 Christmas Card

613 Avenue Create

Aud Sentiments

Christmas w Cuties

Dream Valley

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

     I'll have another post tomorrow.  Until then, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"V" for Vintage Victorian Christmas

      Today I'm sharing my "V" card for the 30 Days of Holidays over at Beccy's Place and it's another of my collaboration cards with my SIL.  She colored this clip art image and used watercolor pencils after I had printed it in gray scale.  She loves the coloring part but I haven't yet gotten her into the card making side, so she colors and I create the cards.

     For this card, my "V"s are: Vintage, Victorian, Verdigris green, Vermillion red on the berries, and white Velvet on one layer of the snowflake.  I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die, then did a white mat, inked with a vermillion marker on the edges.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and those edges were also inked.  

     The background is a scrap of dp from DCWV (!) and the snowflake was made with Cottage Cuts dies.  I put the two layers together and added a touch of glitter and a rhinestone for sparkle.  The final embellishment was the row of flat-back pearls.  A Victorian card seemed to call for sparkle and gems and a fair amount of embellishment.

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Digi Choosday

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Friday

Outlawz Thurs (Dickens' Christmas Carol)

Polkadoodles

Rudolph Days

Simon Says Stamp

     That's all for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Letter "U" for Beccy's Place

      This is my card for the letter "U" in the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.  I've used Utensils and Under the Mistletoe.

     I may have told this story before since I know I've used the image for Christmas cards and it always brings back the same childhood memory but, when I was growing up, we lived in the same town as an uncle and his family, which happened to include a favorite cousin.  My aunt had been given a set of decorator, wooden utensils (I think they were a fork and spoon) and they were about 20 inches long.  She chose to hang them (crossed into an 'x') above the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen.  They were on the dining room side.  Each holiday season, she would hang a bit of mistletoe from them with a sign that said "Kiss the Cook."

     Every time I see this utensils image from Beccy's Place, it brings back that memory and I decided to use the image for "U."   I colored with Ohuhu markers, then cut both the image and the sentiment with oval dies from QuicKutz.  The gold, glittery squares were cut with Spellbinders dies.  The deep green square was dry embossed with my 'Linen' embossing folder.

     The tiny poinsettia and candy cane embellishments were in my Christmas stash and I think they are probably Jolee's.

     Challenges:

Can You Handle ...? (green square 'Linen' EF)

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Catz

Creative Knockouts

Lil Patch of ...

Peace on Earth

Polkadoodles

    Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Beccy's - Black, White, & 1 Color!

      Time for the next 30 Days of Holidays theme that isn't a letter of the alphabet and Beccy has chosen Black and White + 1 Color.  I started browsing through my rather large collection of Beccy's Place images and found that most of them would have resulted in more than one color being used for the images to look properly 'finished.'  Then I ran across her "Mistletoe" image and knew it would be perfect!

     I merged the sentiment (also from Beccy's Place) before printing the image, then colored it with my Ohuhu markers.  I used a bit of white and charcoal gray pencils on the berries to make them look spherical.   The image was cut with a QuicKutz die.  The two papers are both from the scrap basket and I think they originally came from a DCWV stack.

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Polkadoodles

     This second post for today is all I have and I'm off to do some planning and prep work for our upcoming Thanksgiving next week.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Nutcracker Mouse

      I've fallen in love with another artist who draws the most adorable critters!   You can check them out on Etsy - Pawfect Art Creations.   So far I have three different sets of the cutest little mice and today's card features a Nutcracker Mouse, complete with his uniform, his sword, and the most elegant hat.  

     All the images come pre-colored but this one I printed in grayscale, then colored it with Sanjoki alcohol markers, and a bit of gold Stickles on his hat emblem.  I cut the image with a die from QuicKutz.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I used glittered CS for the card base and layered the image and the sentiment onto the card front.  Not counting the coloring time, it took me less than 10 minutes to make the card.

     Challenges:

12 Months...Christmas

A Perfect Time ...

Critter Crazy

Die Cut Divas

Kerst Christmas

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

SheepSki Designs

     That's all I have for today but I'll be back later this afternoon or maybe tomorrow with another one for Beccy's Place and the 30 Days of Holidays.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Letter "S" - 30 Days of Holidays

     I think this is my favorite Beccy's Place image!  At least I know that I've used it every Christmas season since I first bought the set, how many years ago?  Too many to count.  :-D  It's the Winter Window and the sentiment is also from Beccy's.

     For the letter "S" I have: Stripes, Sparkle, Satin ribbon, Sanjoki markers, Stones in the wall, Snow, Scraps, & Stickles.

     In the past, I've colored the stone in red-orange shades to look more like brick, blue stones with dark accents, even brown stones with black accents but this time, I colored it with several different, light gray and blue gray markers to enhance the winter feel, and light brown-gray markers on the branch, all from Sanjoki.  I added a few white highlights to the snow on the branch with a gel pen.  I used a deep yellow marker on the candle and added Stickles to the candle flame so that it would sparkle.

     The image was cut with a die from QuicKutz.  The striped dp used for the background came from an old DCWV stack and it was a scrap in the basket.  The satin ribbon was from my stash and I'm pretty sure it was from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  It has a very nice, but rather subtle, sparkle in it.  I used my bowmaker to get the double loop bow.  I really do think ribbon and bows are my favorite embellies because they are so easy to add and work perfectly on nearly any card.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Creative Knockouts

Just Us Girls (winter & snow)

Night Owls

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"R" Day at 30 Days of Holidays

      Another day in the 30 Days of Holiday Cards at Beccy's Place and today we use "R."  The letter "R" is pretty easy since there are at least a dozen different things starting with the letter "R" that can be used on holiday cards but I settled for Rubber Stamp (House Mouse), Red, and Rocker card.  The tutorial at Beccy's Place for Rocker cards can be found by clicking on the A - Z Folds at the top of the blog and it's the simplest, quickest Rocker card of any tutorials I've seen for them.  Check it out - it's a simple matter of cutting the bottom (of whatever card you're making) into a curved shape.

      I decided on an A2 card (4.25 x 5.5 inches), laid on a horizontal "landscape", and used a paper plate (any plate or bowl would work; I just happened to have a stack of paper plates near the craft desk and grabbed one) to draw around the bottom edge of the card, then I cut it with scissors.  Poof, quick and easy,  By the way, although I did mine as a landscape version of an A2 card, you can cut a curve on the bottom of a vertical A2 and it will rock also.

     I stamped the image and colored it with a combination of watercolors and Ohuhu markers.  Once colored, I cut it with a QuicKutz die, then cut the corners with a Uchida corner punch.  I added the sentiment, cut with an Avery Elle die, to the bottom of the image piece.  I chose a red card base, and I've already explained how I made the rocker bottom.  I layered on the image piece and it was finished!

     Challenges:

52 Weeks...Christmas

C.R.A.F.T.

CRAFT-alnica

Craft Rocket

Double D

House Mouse

Krafty Chicks

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie  

Time for the Dreaded "Q"

       It's another challenge with an alphabet letter and this time it's the dreaded "Q" for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and our letter prompt is "Q."   Not an easy one for sure.  I pretty much think of quilting or quilling and I haven't done any quilling in more than 10 years so I turned to Quilted.  I used Beccy's Three French Hens image from her 12 Days of Christmas set, along with one of my Quilting dies.

      The quilted hens were colored with Sanjoki markers, then cut with an oval die from QuicKutz.  The Quilt die I used is from Sizzix.  The glitter CS is by Recollections and the green polka dot dp came from an old K & Co. stack.  The red CS was dry embossed with my Linen EF.  These are all scrap papers cut with the quilt die.  I looked through all my Christmas dies and found a holly leaves die which is from SU.  I had the mini buttons in my stash and have no idea what company made them.  The sentiment was printed and hand cut with scissors.

I based this on the sketch #289 at Sweet Sketch Weds 2

turned sideways so that the oval is horizontal and adjusted for an A2.

     Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C
Simon Says Stamp

Snippets Playground

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

All I Want for Christmas

      I adore this latest image for the FB Progressive Challenge at Moondrea Designs.  The image is named "Summer" but I wanted her for a Christmas card so I gave her long sleeves, colored her in traditional red and green using my Ohuhu markers, and added a Christmas sentiment.  

     Once colored, I cut the image, and the dark green mat framing it, with Tonic Studio dies.  I added green Stickles to her earrings, and little drops of gold Liquid Pearls to the flower centers.  The background dp was stamped with Versamark on a large, decorative stamp, then heat embossed with gold EP.  I think she made a delightful & feminine Christmas card.  :-D

     Challenges:

Holly & Ivy

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's IP

Peace on Earth

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Letter "P" for Partridge in a Pear Tree

      Yep, you guessed it - we're doing the letter "P" in the 30 Days of Holiday cards at Beccy's Place today.  I've used Beccy's Partridge in a Pear Tree image from her 12 Days of Christmas set.  I've had this set for at least 7 Christmases and have used some portion of it each year.  I think this image is my favorite.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image, including the Pears and the Partridge, giving her Pink tail feathers!   I used Pine green ribbon for the strip at the top and added Pearls on each end.  The same ribbon was used to tie the bow.

     The image and the scalloped frame were both cut with dies from QuicKutz.  Before assembling the tent card, I tapped on a Paint brush to spatter Peach, Poppy and green watercolors on the card front.  On the sentiment piece, I used dots which were Punched out of the the same CS I used for the frame piece.

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Crafty Animals

Dream Factory

Dream Valley
Pammie's IP

     Thanks for visiting and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Woodland Critters

     A second post today because I just had to share a tag I made using the mid-month freebie from Conjuror of Dreams for their Tag Challenge.  They do 2 tag challenges each month on their FB site and I didn't get one finished in time for the first challenge in November so I didn't want to be late with this one.  They offer freebies to use in the tag challenge and those alone make it totally worth playing.  :-D

     Isn't this the cutest collection of woodland critters building their winter snowman?  I used kraft CS for the tab and made the shape myself by cutting a rectangle with a die from QuicKutz and then cutting the top corners with a punch from EK Success.  The image is pre-colored and I used it "as is" instead of printing it in grayscale and coloring it myself.  I added pearls to the sides and bottom, then added a "To/From" stamp to the back.  Red twine was added through the hole on top finished it off.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

C.R.A.F.T.

Craft Rocket

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspiration

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Friday

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Letter "O" - 30 Days of Holidays

      Today we return to the letters of the alphabet for the daily challenges at Beccy's Place and I'm up to the Letter "O."  I've done an Offset Gate Fold card (tutorial is available on Beccy's blog under the A - Z Folds tab at the top of the page.  In my opinion, Beccy does some of the best tutorials around; step by specific step, clear, and easily understood.)

    I colored the cute snowman image (also Beccy's Place) in Odd (odd for Christmas) colors of purple and pink and I used my Ohuhu alcohol markers.  The sweet snowman is carrying an Ornament as he readies his home for Christmas.  Once colored, I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die, and cut the mat for it with another die from that set.  The papers on each flap of the gatefold came from Doodlebug.  I thought the print on the papers was enough so that no further embellishment was needed.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Classic Design

Crafting Happiness

Creative Creases

Krafty Chicks

Outlawz Monday

Outlawz Thurs

Peace on Earth

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Tartan Theme - 30 Days of Holidays

      This darling elf is an image from Beccy's Place and I love how proudly he's carrying those presents.  The challenge for today is one of the themed challenges rather than an alphabetical one and Beccy chose "Tartans or Plaids."  I immediately thought about this paper I knew was in my Christmas stash and chose the elf as the image I wanted on the card.

     I printed the pre-colored version, adjusted it to almost grayscale before printing it, and then enhanced all the reds with one of my Sanjoki markers, chosen because it was an almost exact match to the red in the dp.  The sentiment came from an old magazine.  I cut it out with a Tonic Studios die, matted it with red CS, and layered it onto the image piece after I cut the image with a QuicKutz die.  The three snowflakes are from Jolee's.

     Challenges:

Christmas...Throwdown

Crafty Calendar

Gem of a Challenge

Love Those...Papers

Outlawz Tuesday

Polkadoodles

Send a Smile ...

Sweet Stampin'

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Red and White Christmas

      This is my second post today but I wanted to enter the November challenge at Conjuror of Dreams.  

      I love red birds in the winter!  They bring so much visual joy to an otherwise bland, some might even say bleak, landscape of leafless trees buried in snow and ice.  Today's card features a bright red cardinal clinging to a snowy branch.  It's a pre-colored image from Conjuror of Dreams and pre-colored always means a quick and easy card..

     I cut the image with a Spellbinders die, matted it with white CS trimmed to fit, and added the sentiment (cut with an Avery Elle die.)  The poinsettia dp originally came from a DCWV stack, but it was a left over scrap with a piece punched out of it from a previous project.  I managed to cover that hole with the image piece!  Waste not, want not.  :-D

     The snowflake embellies are from Jolee's, and this card took me just under 15 minutes to make.  How's that for quick?

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Alphabet Challenge

Classic Design

Crafty Catz

Creatalicious

Dream Factory

Outlawz Friday

     That's it for today but I'll have another post tomorrow for another 30 Days of Holidays card.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie