Counting Autumn Blessings

      As a way to say "Thanks" in this month of Gratitude and Thanksgiving, I always recommend a count of all the blessings you've received throughout the year, and the blessings of the harvest and having family close need to be on that list, for sure!  

     This fun image from QKR Stampede, called "Farmer Crow" seemed the perfect one to use on my DT card for the new "Anything Goes" challenge starting today.  The image is colored with ProMarkers, then cut with an oval die from Memory Box.  That was one of the first dies I ever bought and it must go back at least 12 or 15 years.

     The background is made with layers of dp from an old DCWV stack.  The brown, sparkly ribbon on the left is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, as is the satin ribbon I used for the hand-tied bow.  I added an orange flower gem to the bow.  The pumpkin & flowers in the corner have had glitter added to them for a bit of sparkle.

My colors came from board #470 at CMH Color Dare

top row, middle row, and left hand column.

Actually, once I add in all the colors in his face and beak, I've

used all the colors except Sapphire!

     Challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's

Cutie Pie

Di's Digi Designs

Outlawz PAM

Outside the Box

Polkadoodles

Scrapping4fun

Taylormade ...

The Four Seasons

     I hope you're going to remember to come and play in our Anything Goes challenge this fortnight.  We love being inspired by you and if you're the winner (we have 2 winners each challenge - 1 for those who use QKR images and 1 for everyone else), you could win some fabulous digis!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 3 - Cat Lovers Hop

 

     Day 3 of the Cat Lovers Hop 2021 (where I'm a Guest Designer on two different days this year) and the Daily Prizes are sponsored by Ike's World.   She's offering a complete set of Kristmas Kitties as an overall prize in addition to the prize for each daily challenge.  

     I've done a card which has a much more autumn (translate to "Halloween") theme.  In fact, the cat is named "Autumn" according to the notation written by my friend on the back of this image.  lol  I received this image from a dear friend after losing all my digi images in a flash drive crash last year.  She had printed it in grayscale and mailed it to me in one of the seven different packs of stamped/printed images she sent.  

     She was so afraid I'd quit making cards after losing more than 10,000 digis that she spent what must have been hours and hours stamping or printing onto white CS, cutting them into 1/4 or 1/2 sheet pieces, and mailing them in padded envelopes so they wouldn't arrive bent or wrinkled.

  

     It was from her efforts in printing grayscale images that I learned so much about coloring them.  I love that when you print a pre-colored image in grayscale, you get all the wonderful shading and highlights of the colored image but you get to choose your own color combos and do additional highlighting (or shading) as desired.

     I used my ProMarkers and polychromos pencils to color the image, blending with gamsol.  I chalked two sides of the image after I had cut it with a QuicKutz octagon die.  I cut the frame from a scrap of  burgundy CS using another octagon die 1 size larger.  

     The background piece was made from a leftover watercolor scrap to which I added two corners of scrap dp (Doodlebug) to cover holes in the watercolor scrap.  I had used tiny dies to cut some things for a previous project but the remaining paper was so pretty I couldn't toss it out.  Can't tell you how happy I am about that decision now.  :-D

     I printed and fussy cut the sentiment (another scrap), then tied a bow using shiny satin ribbon (also a scrap) and my bow maker.

I chose lemonade/mulberry/& sangria + gold

from color board #466 at CMH Color Dare.

     Challenges:

As You Like It  (Although I always prefer using 

                           animal images over people because I like

                           coloring fur better than skin, since

                           this card is for the Cat Lovers Hop, 

                           it had to be a cat!  :-D ) 

Colour Crazy

Crafty Creations

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

Lemon Shortbread

Pixie's Snippets

SUYP Cats

TTCRD

     Come play in the Cat Lovers Hop this year.  Or at least visit us.  You'll find lot of fun games each day and if you want to enter, just make something featuring cats!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Putting on the Ritz

      One more of my dance themed cards and this is the one I love the best (so far) because I got to use both water color paints and markers.  I'll share another one tomorrow that is all water color and, in its own way, is every bit as glamorous.  :-D  

     On this image, the background is all watercolor, as is the clothing on the couple but their faces, hair,  arms and legs are colored with ProMarkers.  The problem with markers on watercolor paper is that it tends to 'bleed' into spots where you don't want it but when the background is all water color, that can be a blessing in disguise.  The 'lights' were done by putting a tiny brush point of water onto the dried background, then removing the water with another dry brush point, which pulled the color out of the middle, making it look like a floodlight.

     The die cuts were made with a Sue Wilson die and I added the pearls to mimic the floodlights in the image.  The sentiment at the bottom of the frame around the image is so tiny you probably can't read it but it says, "Puttin' on the Ritz."

I chose complimentary colors of blue and rust 

from the color wheel at Color Dare.

       Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Die Cut Divas

Dies R Us

Taylormadecards ...

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fairies & Ladybugs

     I'm playing around today with two things I've not done for a long while: a bendi card and a mini (4' x 4") card, combined into one.  The image was only about 2" x 2.5" which made coloring it a major task in itself.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers and water color pencils, then used a Gina Marie die to cut the image.  I used a Spellbinders curved border die to cut the two flaps of the bendi card which tuck in.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  I used a ProMarker to ink the edges of both the bendi flaps and the sentiment.

     The cute image is from Bugaboo Stamps.  I used the color board #449 at Color Dare and chose blue and brown in addition to the required purple.  Note that the fairy's skin was colored with a 'Praline Brown' marker.

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Cardz TV

Catch the Bug

Crafty Sentiments

Cute Card Thurs

Digi Choosday

Double D

Lemon Shortbread

Marvelous Minis

     That's it for today and probably for tomorrow, too, but I'll be back with a new post on Thursday so check back then.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sowing vs Reaping

      We're all familiar with the phrase "Reap what you sow" but this cute image from House Mouse Stamps makes me wonder about the wisdom of a tiny mouse sowing Catnip seeds!   If, indeed, he reaps what he sows, he may have a field full of cats which isn't really what a mouse would want!  On the other hand, maybe he's just warm and neighborly and believes in taking care of all creatures, friends or foes.  

      Or maybe he's like me and any excuse will do to get out into the garden, my favorite place to be!  :-D

Colors chosen from Color Dare challenge.

Canary/ Mink/ Blue Belle/ Ivy Green w a neutral of Brown

Colored with ProMarkers  

   (my fav coloring medium because of the way they blend)

Cut w Lawn Fawn die

Matted w Cottage Cutz die cut

Texture burlap scrap

Plaid paper from Your Next Stamp stack

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Watering Can charm

Fiber bow

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Crafty Sentiments

Creative Fingers

Cute Card Thurs

Cutie Pie

House Mouse

Lawn Fanatics (used LF die)

Simon Says Stamp

TTCRD

     I think I'll get away from the computer and go play in the garden for a bit.  The weather this morning is a perfect balance of warm and still cool enough to be comfortable outside but that is slated to change drastically this afternoon and over the Memorial Day weekend.  We'll be in the mid to high nineties later today and they are predicting a 5 day (or more) run of temps over 100 F starting on Monday.  Yuck!  I guess summer is officially here even though the calendar says it's still 3 weeks away.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Stockings on the Chimney?

      I always thought it was Santa who went down the chimney but this image tells me the reindeer are also involved somehow!  That silly reindeer is either trying to hang the stocking on the outside of the chimney (which would make it easier and faster for Santa to fill) or he's been down the chimney and is acting like the Grinch stealing Christmas.  Hmmmm...

     The image is from Bugaboo Stamps and I think it's delightful and funny.  :-D

I started with the sketch from 2 Sisters on the Blog

and Colors from CMH Color Dare

 

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w CUTplorations die

Scraps of paper from Love to Craft

Scrap of glitter paper

Circle cut w Spellbinders die from scrap

Hand tied bow from sheer ribbon scrap

Sentiment cut w CUTplorations die

     Challenges:

Bitten by the Bug

Die Cut Divas

Double Trouble (all 3)

Dream Valley

Pixie's Snippets

Scribbles Designs

SheepSki Designs

STAMPlorations

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Be What You Want to Be!

      We've all heard the ditty about being who you are unless you want to be a Unicorn but this image from Mo's Digital Pencil tells me that sometimes other dreams are possible!  lol  This card is only 4" x 4".

I used traditional colors from Color Dare #423.

Colored w ProMarkers

Sparkle gel ink on collar bells

Glitter added to snow

Cut w Spellbinders die

Sentiment hand cut  & mounted on Pop Dots

Plaid dp from Your Next Stamp

All dp were scraps

Green dp frame cut w Spellbinders die

Red, 1/16" ribbon wrapped & tied

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Craft-Dee BowZ

Crafter's Castle

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Festive Fri

Your Next Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Winnie Wednesday's Jack-o-Lanterns

      Time for the next weekly challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and our theme is Anything Goes.  We're sponsored this week by Polkadoodles.  The image I used is called "Winnie Wednesday Pumpkin."

     This card is filled with scraps from the basket that sits on my craft table and I'm feeling like using them up means I've earned the right to acquire more papers.  :-D

I pulled colors from CMH Color Dare #413

3rd column.

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Spellbinders square & then 1 side cut w Poppystamps die

Polka dot scrap cut w Poppystamps die

Plaid scrap cut w QuicKutz die

Black background CS cut w Altenew die

Orange CS put behind black die cut

Orange, stitched ribbon = scrap from basket

Sheer ribbon for bow, dyed black w ProMarker

"Boo" sentiment is metallic 'confetti' matted w white CS

     Challenges:

Altenew

Crafter's Cafe

Crafty Catz

Creatalicious

Dies R Us

Outlawz Festive Fri

Pattie's Creations

Polkadoodles

Stamplorations

     Come play with us this week.  That's the only way we can be inspired by you!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Hug a Soft Kitty

      It's Monday and time for a new weekly challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies!  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" (except on a 5th Monday and then we have a theme) so there's absolutely no excuse not to come and play with us.

     Pammie herself is sponsoring the challenge this time and she's giving a gift coupon for Mo's Digital Pencil.   I used one of Mo's sweet images called "Soft Kitty."

I used colors from the Tic Tac Toe board (#411) at

Color Dare. I actually did 4 of the possibilities:

1st Column + Top & Center Rows + Diagonal (left bottom to top right)

     Colored with ProMarkers & pencils, then cut with QuicKutz die.  Both mats were also cut with QuicKutz dies and the Goldrush CS (which looks more orange in the photo but is really very golden IRL) was embossed with Linen EF.  Spiderweb stamped onto acetate and cut with Spellbinders circle die, trimmed to fit the corner.  The "Boo" is a metallic die cut.  

     Challenges:

Coloring in Scrapland

Crafty Friends

Crafty Gals Corner

Cuttlebug Mania

I love ProMarkers

Mo's Digital Pencil

Paper Funday

Paper Shelter

SUYP

     That's a I have for today but don't forget to come play with us this week.  We love seeing what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Music in His Pocket

     If this isn't the best image of today's teenage boy, I don't know what is.  A music player in his back pocket, earbuds in his ears, and a cell phone in his hands.  If this is one particular teen I know, he's watching a basketball game streamed live to his tiny screen, and in a normal year, he might even be waiting for waiting for the bus to take him home after his first day back at school.  ;-D

     The image is from Mo's Digital Pencil.

I used colors from Color My Heart Color Dare

(diagonal from left bottom to right top 

+ Glacier, Espresso, & Peach)

Colored w/ ProMarkers
Cut w/ QuicKutz die
Edges inked w/ inkpad
Ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Sentiment printed and cut w/ QuicKutz
3 metal brads
Card base is metallic CS

     Challenges:
All Fun
Aud Sentiments
C.R.A.F.T.
Ike's World
Paperbabe
Paper Funday
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Dog (?) Days

          I know August is typically what we call the Dog Days of summer but sometimes those "dog" days turn into cat or bird days as well.  Just see below for an example in this delightful Mo's Digital Pencil image.  I know I usually do cat images but that's because my fur babies get so upset when I feature some other animal, but this time I think I can get away with it since there IS a cat in the image. :-D

I pulled my colors from the tic tac toe board at

Color My Heart Color Dare - 

the main ones from the diagonal top left to bottom right -

plus mink & almond (cat's fur), red (in the dog's collar), 

toffee (bird's feather's) & tangerine (bird's beak.)

I think all I missed was the Glacier Blue.  :-D

All 3 of the diagonal colors are in the dp and the image has both 

green and yellow with neutrals of black and white.

Colored w/ ProMarkers & pencil
Image & frame cut & embossed w/ Tonic Studios dies
Paper is a scrap from the basket
2 shades of green CS

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
As You Like It (Both dog & cat!)
Cardz TV
C.R.A.F.T.
Outlawz Festive Fri
Paperbabe
Word Art Weds
Your Next Stamp

     That's all for today but I'll be back tomorrow with another card.  Hope you'll stop by then, too.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Holly Berry Bouquet

     When I first saw this lovely Christmas image from Conie Fong, called "Holly Berry Bouquet," I was reminded of days gone by when ladies made holly corsages to wear on their coats throughout the holiday season.  I remember sitting at the dining table watching my mom and my grammy make theirs over more than one year.

     By the time I was old enough to help with crafting them, you could find factory-made corsages with shiny, plastic, holly leaves and tiny, metallic, tree ornaments for very reasonable prices and after that, the dining table remained craft free.  My mom still made up holly bouquets in fancy vases for the dining table but to my mind, it just wasn't the same.

Colors inspired by Color Dare board.

Colored w/ ProMarkers
Glossy Accents added to leaves for shine
Image & frames cut w/ Sizzix dies
Red satin ribbon
Sentiment (x2) cut w/ Sue Wilson die

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Crafty Catz
Dare 2B Artzy
Dragonfly Dreams
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lil Patch of ...
Outlawz Festive Fri
Paper Shelter
Time Out

     Remember, Conie Fong's has 2 challenges on their Facebook site each month; one is for coloring only and the other is for completed projects.  You must use Conie Fong images but how could anyone resist them?  You'll fall in love with her delicious artwork the instant you see the first one.  :-D  Come play and Happy Crafting.

Independence Day !

     Here's a reminder that the June monthly challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps is still ongoing and you can enter projects until 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 5.  The July challenge starts on Monday, July 6.           My mid-month reminder card for June celebrates with one of Jan's newest sets, Independence Day Friends, and the set is on sale until the end of June!

     I'm so proud of this card because, while I used all pre-colored images from the set, I put a lot of work into merging the ladies, their picnic lunches, the fireworks, and the sentiment so that they would look like a single image.  I've been practicing but this is the first time I've merged more than just 2 images.  Each image becomes a 'layer' and this one has a total of 6 layers!  I can hardly believe I managed it.  :-D

     But if merging isn't your thing, fret not.  Jan has already merged images within the set so you can either use a single image or one of the pre-merged images.  You really should go and look at the entire set.  It's going to be so versatile.  I used the Independence Day sentiment to make this one a 4th of July card but leaving that sentiment out, all the rest of the individual images would make fabulous summer-themed cards or cards to celebrate nearly any occasion.

     You know, it's digi sets like this one that make me remember why I'm now so hooked on digis as opposed to real rubber.  Not only can you adjust the size of your images (which I love!) but there are so many images and sentiments in this set, if I had to store them all mounted on wood, I'd run out of room.  As digis, they store in a really small space on one of my flash drives.  Yep, digis for me forever!

This card has all the colors from the TicTacToe board

found at Color Dare this week except for the very

center, Laguna Blue.  I used top and bottom rows plus

first and third columns.

Pre-colored images
QuicKutz and Spellbinders dies for all cut shapes
Baker's twine in blue and red stripes

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
Creative Fingers
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs
DreamValley
Stamping Sensations
Time Out (It was the celebration part that got to my creative juices!)

     If you haven't played in our June challenge yet, please come on over!  Our theme is always Anything Goes and, while you aren't required to use a Jan's stamp, if you do your entry will go into a separate draw just for JDS images.  That increases your chances of winning buy a huge amount! 

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Snowflake Wishes

     You know how every once in a while you get a card finished and it looks and feels exactly the way you imagined it would?  Terribly pleasing, isn't it?  Well, that's what happened with this card and I just love it !  :-D

     The image is one of the newer ones from Conie Fong, called "Snowflake Wishes" and I think she's so beautiful.  

     When I first printed this image, I thought about making an entire scene with her rather than just a single-image card.  But I spent so much time on the coloring, adding lots of shading and highlights, that I decided on just the image as the focus.  I find that when it comes to Conie's images, I love to put the detail into the coloring and I rarely make scene cards with them.  

     I did take time to do a bit of water coloring on a scrap of water color paper which I added to the background.  It does look a bit like a stormy sky.  :-D  In any case, here's another card for my Christmas stash.

I used Peacock, Linen, and Mint colors

(plus Peach for her skin)

which came from Color My Heart #396.

Colored with ProMarkers 

Glitter added to snowball, snowflakes, and wings

Cut with QuicKutz die &

     trimmed to show glitter paper

Silver glitter paper cut w/ Quickutz die

Background dp made w/ water colors

Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon

Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Cute Card Thurs

Dream Valley

Outlawz Festive Fri

Simon Says Stamp & Show

Southern Girls

Your Next Stamp

     Conie Fong has two challenges that run every month and they can be found on our Facebook page.  One is for coloring only and the other is for completed projects.  Each challenge requires the use of a Conie Fong image but how can you resist any of her cute images?  I hope we're going to see you playing along.  Don't belong to the Conie Fong FB group yet?  Joining is free so join us and come play.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bubbles Everywhere

     This fun and silly image is from the Limited Runs Progressive Challenge and if you haven't played before, you can check out how to get the image on the Facebook page.  Just click on the Limited Runs name above and the link will take you there.

     The expression on this fish's face made me think he was suffering from severe indigestion or heartburn and this was the end result of my thought process.  lol

I used the sketch from Tuesday Morning and 3 colors from

Color My Heart #381 (Glacier/Lagoon/Nectarine.)

  

Colored with ProMarkers and gel inks
Cut with Memory Box die
Inked edges
Glitter added to bubbles
Background paper from scrap box
Paper used for strips also scraps & cut w/ Memory Box die
Blue pearls added
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Crafty Catz
House that Stamps Built (middle row)
Ike's World
Paperbabe Stamps
Polkadoodles
Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Gracie & Nibbles

     I'm so tickled to announce that after having served last month as a Guest Designer for Digi Doodle Studios, I've been invited to be part of the DT!  I'm thrilled and have fallen in love with all of Dina's sweet images.  I can hardly wait to share with you what I've done with them as time moves along.  :-D

     Here's my first card as a DT for the challenge which begins today, with a theme of "It's a Love Thing."  I used a darling image called "Gracie & Nibbles" which is perfect for another Valentine card to add to my stash.

This is a fancy fold card and here's how it looks with the top flap open:

     The card base is a triangle, cut on the diagonal across a full sheet of CS, 11 x 8.5 inches.  The points are scored to make an A2 size card, 5.5 x 4.25 inches, when folded.  I used my Scor-Pal to get perfectly straight score lines.  I added the rectangle of white CS to the inside which can be used for writing the message.

Colored with ProMarkers

Image is fussy cut with scissors

Circle cut with QuicKutz die

Pink satin bow is hand tied and stitched

Colors from the inspiration at Color My Heart.

     Challenges:

Crafty Sentiments

Cute Card Thurs

Cuttlebug Mania

Passion for ProMarkers

Scrappy Land

Simon Says Stamp & Show

SUYP Cats

Time Out

Your Next Stamp

     Happy Crafting and come share your creations with us in our "It's a Love Thing" challenge.  NanaConnie

Mushroom Fairy for Fall

     This adorable little fairy, sitting in her mushroom garden enjoying the cooler days of fall, is from All Dressed Up. 

     The weather has stayed pretty hot where I live until today when they are predicting 83 instead of 93, and my blogging buddy, Lynn, a Texan from head to toe, says it's stayed awfully warm in her area, too.  So this card celebrates the arrival of fall and if it hasn't cooled off for her yet, maybe the weather is heading from my house to hers.  Hang in there, Lynn!

I chose colors from the middle column of color board #363

at Color My Heart Color Dare, plus I used "Ballerina"

for her face and arms.

Colored with ProMarkers

Cut image & frame with Sizzix dies

Gold CS base

Gold, glittered flower

CAS design

     Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Outlawz SAR

Pattie's Creations

Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Golden Libra

     One of my grandsons was born under the sign of Libra and, while I don't usually care much for the Zodiac images I've seen, the set recently released at AuroraWings appealed to me.  I grabbed images for the family birthdays (and there are a lot of them, many duplicated) and this is the first one I've used.  Grandson's birthday is only a couple of months away so...

I was inspired by the "Gold or Silver + 2 Accent colors"

(#356) at Color My Heart's Color Dare.

I chose Gold, plus olive green and kraft.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with double stitched die from Die-namics by MFT
Inlaid into gold foil also cut with the same die
Sentiment cut with stitched die, adjusted to get proper shape
Gold jute cord

     Challenges:
AuroraWings
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Creative Knockouts
Outlawz Festive Fri
Paperbabe Stamps
Polkadoodles

     That's all for today.  Enjoy your weekend.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Burp the Cat

     This sweet little girl from Mo's Digital Pencil knows all about babies, including feeding and burping them.  From the look on the cat's face, I'm not at all sure he truly appreciates all the dedicated care he's getting.  :-D

I used colors from Color My Heart #354, top row

plus Ballerina and Sweet Leaf.

Colored with ProMarkers
Die cut with Spellbinders
Layers offset
Dimension with Pop Dots
Sheer ribbon
Machine embroidered butterfly

     Challenges:
Butterfly  (Jade and Juicy Orange)
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Crafty Gals Corner
Outlawz Festive Friday
Scrappy Land
Take It, Make It
Word Art Weds.

     

Bandaid for the Bullfrog

     Today is the start of another "Anything Goes" challenge at QKR Stampede and I had fun making a 'Get Well' card for my stash using "Frog 24148."

I chose Willow, Clover, and Peach 

from the colors at Color My Heart challenge.

Colored with ProMarkers
Fussy cut with scissors
Gingham panel cut with Poppy Stamps die
Sentiment printed and fussy cut
Set of 3 pearls - top and bottom
All scrap papers

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Creative Inspirations
Digi Choosday
I {heart} ProMarkers
Ike's World
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz PAM
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown

Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie