Noel on the Night before Christmas

      My earlier post today was for the letter "M" and this one is for the letter "N" in the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.  I have to share with you that I was completely inspired by a card Beccy did using this same image against a very dark background so that the candle light seemed to glow.  I CASEd the card as best I could, including the sentiment.  

     I'm not nearly as skilled with coloring as Beccy is but I did give myself the advantage of starting with her pre-colored image, then adjusting the color so that it was much lighter (almost gray scale) and then used my ProMarkers (Beccy tends to use colored pencils) to color pretty much the same color combo as she had used.  The main differences are that I used grays on the mouse instead of browns, added some shadows, and used less yellow on the parts of the mouse where the candle glow would be.  I also colored the candle green.

      I didn't even attempt to color a dark background (which Beccy did.)  Instead, I fussy cut the mouse, mounted him onto Pop Dots, then used black CS for my card front and put him right in the middle of it.  The "Night Before Christmas" sentiment is cut with an Avery Elle die and the sparkly gold 'Noel' was cut with a Die-Versions die.

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Dream Valley

Gem of a Challenge

Incy Wincy

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Peace on Earth

Polkadoodles

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting, everyone, and for those of us in the US, I hope your Thanksgiving preparations are well under way.  If you're traveling, may you have safe travels and warm moments with family.   Happy holidays to you and yours.  NanaConnie

Mouse with Christmas Flower

      It's the day for the letter "M" in the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.  I've used one of her newest mice which I think is so adorable!  Although not made as a Christmas image, this darling Mouse is all dressed up in his winter scarf and by using Magenta Markers to color both the scarf and the flower, the image took on a Christmas-y color combo.  The image is colored with ProMarkers.  I also used tiny Metal brads, covered in glitter for a touch of sparkle.  (Secret - when you want to add glitter (or even  a particular color of embossing powder) to metal brads, hold the prongs with a pair of tweezers, heat the brad with a heat gun, and when it's hot, immediately dip it into the glitter EP !)

     The image and its frame are cut with QuicKutz dies.  The magenta ribbon was wrapped around the card front and also used to tie the double loop bow.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and matted with magenta CS.

Challenges:

Allsorts

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Cutie Pie

Di's Digi Designs

Dragonfly Dreams

Outlawz PAM

Passion for Markers

     I missed doing a post for yesterday's card (life got in the way as sometimes happens so I'll have a second post today.  In a way, that's better because the posts will be in 'alphabetical' order even though I made them in reverse order.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

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:

Art Impressions

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Creative Knockouts

House... Stamps Built

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

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

"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:

A Bit More Time...

Arty Divas

Christmas Crafts...

Classic Design

Colour It, Create It...

Crafts Galore Encore

Crafty Hazelnut's

Pixie's Snippets

SheepSki Designs

     That's all for today.  Happy Crafting.  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:

ABC Christmas

Allsorts

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Creations

Cuttlebug Mania

Outlawz Color

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

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

"E" for Evergreens at Beccy's Place

      Well, it's another day in the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and we're back to the alphabet  with the letter "E" this time.  I have only a very short list of "E"s this time:  Evergreens, Embossing, and Embellishments.  The cardinal and the holly garland are both images by Beccy, as is the sentiment.  The holly is fussy cut, the image is die cut (Spellbinders) and embossed, and the tiny snowflake, tree, and snowman embellishments are made using mini punches, loaned to me by my daughter.  :-D

     The holly garland is mounted onto Pop Dots for added dimension and the card front is embossed with my 'Linen' EF.

     Challenges:

ABMTTC Extra

Crafts Galore Encore

Crafty Animals

Creatalicious

Digi Doodle Studios

Kerst Facebook

Morgan's ArtWorld

Your Scrapbook Place

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Final Day at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     Here we are on Day 30 of the Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas and we get to do whatever we love best - a classic Anything Goes theme.  I opted for this vase of holly branches, one of my favorite Beccy's images.  In Beccy's colored version, the vase is purple, my favorite color.  In my version, I opted for a red-violet vase so that I could use more traditional embellishments for Christmas.  Other than the red-violet, I pulled my colors from Paperbabe Stamps, including the papers I used (see below.)

I used the sketch from The Outlawz, turned 1/4 turn,

and the color palette found at Paperbabe Stamps.

  

Colored with ProMarker
Image cut with Die-namics stitched die
Snowflakes cut with AI dies
Sentiment cut with Die-versions die
Scrap pieces from Graphic 45

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Crafty Catz
Crafty Creations
House that Stamps Built
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 28, Letter "Y" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas is winding down to the last days and the prompt for today is the letter "Y."  I chose Yuletide and also colored the flowers in the image a very pale Yellow.  I've made another of my gift card folders but this time I made a belly band instead of using ribbon to tie it and the lovely Yuletide Bell is an image from Beccy's Place.

Colored with ProMarkers
Sparkle gel ink added to bell
White gel ink for highlights
Cut with Unbranded, stitched die
Embossed CS for folder
Cut image is attached to the belly band

     Challenges:
Crafty Catz
Crafty Hazelnut's
Creative Inspirations
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp
Time Out
Winter Wonderland
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Dreaded "X" Day at 30 Days of Christmas

     Well, it's finally here - Day "X" at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas.  I've been dreading this prompt all month long.  Having faced this prompt before in earlier years, I was pretty much stumped but still not wanting to do anything I've done before.  Then, day before yesterday, the idea of making the entire card an X shape popped into my head.  How to make that happen?  I chewed on that one for nearly 30 hours and this was the result.

The X was made by using one corner of a square die (Spellbinders) on the top and bottom of a tent fold card, and one point of a hexagon die (QuicKutz) on both sides of the card.  

Rocking chair image from Beccy's Place, colored with ProMarkers
Image cut with Die-namics die
Stitching is fauX, done w/ green gel ink (another "X"?)
Paper from Graphic 45

     There's a story behind the sentiment.  All during my growing up years, the last few evenings before Christmas and especially Christmas Eve were spent listening to Christmas stories read by my mom (or sometimes my Grammy) as we sat curled in blankets, attentive and awed by the magic of her voice reading the story.  On Christmas Eve, we had two great favorites which had been reserved for that night alone - The Night Before Christmas and the Christmas story from the Bible.  Over the years, those evenings became known as "The Christmas Read" and they went on through the early years of my children's lives.

     I do love traditional Christmas!

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Crafty Creations
Double D  (traditional)
House that Stamps Built
I {heart} ProMarkers
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 26,Letter "W" - Beccy's Place

     Another day in the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and today we are using the letter "W."  Beccy has these marvelous seasonal window images and I have all 4 of them.  The Winter Window is probably my favorite.  At least, I've used it more often than any of the other seasons.  I dig it out every Christmas and make at least one card with it, sometimes two or three.  What better image than a candle in the window to Welcome Weary travelers as they find the Way home for Christmas?

Colored with ProMarkers
Snow on window and tree is Aleene's Snow & it sparkles
Cut with QuicKutz octagon die
Card base embossed with "Linen" folder
Snowflake is glittered and dimensional

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Crafty Hazelnut's
Dragonfly Dreams
Outlawz PAM
Passion for ProMarkers
Polkadoodles
TTCRD

     Be sure to tune in tomorrow when we hit the dreaded letter "X."  I've been agonizing over that one since the 30 days began and I finally have an idea.  No hints - you'll just have to come visit to find out.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 25, Letter "V" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     For me, "V" is for Vintage, Very Merry, Vermilion (red), and Viridian Green, and it's day 25 at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas.  The candle image is from Beccy's.

This is based on the sketch at My Favorite Things 

and the colors at My Favorite Things.

 

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with QuicKutz dies
Lace added for vintage look
Beads and snowflakes as embellies
Kraft card base

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Double D (Vintage style)
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Festive Fri
Scrappy Land
Time Out
Word Art Weds

     We're only three days away from Thanksgiving here in the States and all the schools in my city are closed for the entire week.  My family are all focused on the Thanksgiving menu and harvest decorating.  On Friday, we'll change everything over to Christmas, putting away the autumn colors and setting up the tree, plus displaying the large collections of snowmen and nutcrackers.  What a great time for festive celebrations! 

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 24, Letter "U" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     I had to do a bit of thinking for the "U" prompt at the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place.  I thought about all the "Under the tree, mistletoe, starry sky,...etc." but decided to reflect something from the famous Nutcracker Ballet and use Uniform worn by the Nutcracker.  I also made a U-fold card.  You can find a tutorial for them on Beccy's blog.

Here's another photo taken at an angle which will let you see the inside side panels a bit better.

Back and side panel photos from Nutcracker Suite ballet (found in online search)

Nutcracker image from Beccy's Place fussy cut w/ scissors

Brown wood grained CS for the 'stage'

Sparkle Tulle for the top theater 'curtain' 

     Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge

Creative Fingers

Cute Card Thurs

Dragonfly Dreams

Outlawz PAM

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 23, Letter "T" for Toy

     It's already Day 23 at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas and I'm showing you one more Gift Card Holder focusing on the letter prompt "T."  I chose to make my T stand for Toys, using this adorable little pull Toy Reindeer from Beccy.  My gold 'ribbon' for the Tie is actually Tree Tinsel.

Colored with ProMarkers, white gel ink, & silver paint pen
Reindeer was fussy cut with scissors
Embossed CS for the folder
Background quilt frame die by Gina Marie
Gold tinsel for the 'ribbon' tie
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Friends
Crafty Sentiments
Cutie Pie
Cuttlebug Mania
Lil Patch of Crafty...
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Scrappy Land
Time Out

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 22, Letter "S" - 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place

     It's Day 22, and we're using the Letter "S" at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas.  I've used the following "S"s:  Snowman, Snowflakes, Sue Wilson die, Sparkle, Satin ribbon, embossed Snowflakes, Stickles, Special fold.  I've made one more of my gift card holders.  Here's a link to the YouTube video that inspired me to start making these gift card holders.

     The inside looks like this, although this is a photo of one of the other holders I did.

Colored with ProMarkers and gel inks
Cut with a QuicKutz die
Sparkle mat cut with Sue Wilson die, trimmed to fit
Glitter paper from Recollections
Stickles used on the snowflakes hanging from his hat
1/8" satin ribbon used for the tie
Folder made with embossed CS

     Challenges:
Double Trouble combined with Cupcake Inspiration
Dream Valley
Incy Wincy (black, white, red)
Lil Patch of ...
Outlawz Greetings
Outlawz SAR
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Passion for ProMarkers

     This s my second post to day and I'll have my regular Friday DT post for QKR early tomorrow morning so I hope you'll be back to see that one, too.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 18, Letter "P" - 30 Days of Christmas

     Today we're using the letter "P" as our prompt in Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas and I chose one of Beccy's lovely Poinsettia images.  I made another gift card holder made from embossed, Pine Green CS.  The image is cut with a Pin Point die and I also used a die to cut Pine needles for the background.  The folder is tied with Peppermint Candy, red and white twine.  This one is done in my favorite Christmas color combo of red and green.  It's also another of my favorite traditional Christmas images which work better (I think) for adult gifts than cute-sy, childish images.

Just to show you how the inside of the folder looks, although this photo is of another folder I made.

Here's a link to the YouTube video I used to make these.

Colored with Polychromos Pencils, blended with gamsol
Pin Point die from Poppy Stamps
Embossed CS
Pine Needle die from Die-namics
Baker's Twine in Peppermint candy colors

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Colour Crazy
Dream Valley
Get Creative
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Polkadoodles
Southern Girls

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 17,"O" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     One more day and another letter of the alphabet ("O") for a prompt in the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place.  Instead of doing another card, I've started making gift card holders using instructions I found on YouTube.  You'll see several of them over the next 10 days or so.  Not only do I need some, my daughter wants a half dozen or so for her stash.  :-D

     Here's the first one, inspired by the letter "O" - Ornament and Octagon.  The image is Beccy's "Stanley's Bauble", which I think of as an Ornament.

Colored with pencil, blended with gamsol
Glitter added to the Ornament
Image cut with Octagon die from QuicKutz
Embossed CS used to make the folder
White satin ribbon for the tie

     Here's a photo of the inside of one of these gift card folders, although not this one as you can tell from the color of the folder and the embossing.

     I'm making a sentiment piece for the other slot but it has glitter on it and that's still drying.
 
     Challenges:
AAA Cards
C.R.A.F.T.
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs
Cutie Pie
Dragonfly Dreams
Get Creative
Lil Patch of ...
TTCRD

     Hope you're having a wonderful weekend.  For those of you already out Christmas shopping, take a breath!  You still have more than a month.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Letter "N" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

    This is Day 16 of the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and we are using the letter "N" as our prompt.  My card uses Nativity, one of Beccy's beautiful images.

Colored with ProMarkers
Image is fussy cut
Octagon cut with QuicKutz die & embossed with "Linen" folder
Sentiment cut with Die-namics die
Background strip of dp - DCWV
Signature bow with faceted gem

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Creations
Crafty Friends
Crafty Hazelnut's
Get Creative
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Girls
Time Out

     Enjoy the rest of your weekend.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 14, Letter "L" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     Day 14 and today we get to use the letter "L" on our cards for the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place.    I've used a sweet image with Lambs around the manger which holds the Lamb of God.  I also did Lots of Layers and used a Beccy's sentiment - "Let us adore Him."

Colored with ProMarkers
Glitter added to halo
Die cut with stitched die (Die-namics)
Gold sparkle paper from Recollections (Unbranded die)
Blue CS cut with pinpoint die from Memory Box
Stitched ribbon from Crafty Ribbons
White card base
3 layers on the sentiment (unbranded dies)
A total of 8 layers including the card base

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
C.R.A.F.T.
Cute Card Thurs
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Paperbabe Stamps
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Take It, Make It
Time Out

     Have a great day and find some crafting time.  It'll strengthen your spirit.  :-)  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 12, Letter "J" - 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place

     My card today for Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas is a bit different from any of the others so far this month.  Instead of using one of Beccy's images, I'm using one of her digital papers (from her Rocking Horse set, which is now one of her free images!  Go grab it.  :-D )

     A blue and purple color combo is one of my absolute favorites, and I thought that using it for a Christmas card would be both challenging and fun.  My only "J" is in the Joyeux Noel sentiment.

I used a sketch from Sweet Sketch Weds.

Background paper from Beccy's Place.
Silver glitter paper from Recollections
Ornament shape cut from gold, iridescent, geometric CS (Spellbinders die)
Joyeux Noel cut with Die-versions die
White paper strips are embossed
Silver paint pen and white gel ink used to define the 'stitched' areas of the sketch
Flat gems added to diagonal corners

   Challenges:
Crafty Catz
Creative Inspirations
Elliebelle's Crafty Weds
Outlawz Festive Fri
Scrappy Land
Time Out
Word Art Weds.

     Hard to believe we're nearly half way through November.  Good grief, I can barely believe we're right around the corner from all the winter holidays!  It seems like only yesterday I was complaining about the miserable heat of summer and now we have wonderful, crisp evenings and the TV ads are all about snow and Christmas.  (I do wish we could have the fun of Halloween and the warmth of Thanksgiving before they start running 24 hour a day ads to buy, buy, BUY!)  And here I am making Christmas cards!  lol  But that's different since I have to mail most of my cards and I have so many to make.  Besides, I don't plaster advertising all over the television waves.  OK, ranting finished.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Non-Christmas Image for Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     So today is another of the curves Beccy throws out to compensate for the 4 days without alphabet prompts during the 30 Days of Christmas.  Today the requirement is to use an image which is NOT a Christmas or holiday image and use it for a holiday/Christmas card.

     Honestly, it took me longer to decide what image(s) to use than it did to color and create the card.  How many of you could guess that I'd choose felines for my card?  There are 2 separate images here, one is Alley Cat and the other is Moggie, both from Beccy's Cattitude set.  The sentiment can be blamed only on me but with those facial expressions, what else could it be?  Such disbelief and discouragement!  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Unbranded die
Snowflakes cut from scrap bits with AI dies
Card front embossed with "Linen" EF (another scrap)

     Challenges:
Coloring in Scrapland
Dragonfly Dreams
Incy Wincy
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Paper Girls
Passion for ProMarkers
Pixie's Snippets
Stamping Sensations
SUYP Cats
Tues Throwdown

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie