"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

Reaping

      Today we start a new challenge over at FarmQuest and our specific theme is "Farm tools that cut."  We always have an underlying theme of Farm or Country, meaning outdoors, farm house, farm fields, crops, animals, etc.  We don't want to see city streets or cityscapes with high rises.  :-D

     I chose a fun, vintage clip art showing a woman reaping with a hand sickle.  I'll bet the farmers and farm wives are glad they don't have to do an entire field that way any more!  This is a pre-colored image and I used it 'as is' instead of printing it in grayscale and coloring it myself.  I was running short of time that day and pre-colored seemed the easiest.  

     I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die and framed it with a scrap of polka dot CS from an old DCWV stack.  The upper background is handmade using watercolor paper and watercolor paints.  The gingham check is from the scrap basket and seemed perfect for this card. 

     The butterfly embellishment was made using a Cottage Cuts die, cutting twice, making a double layer and adding a long, wooden bead for the butterfly body.

     Challenges:

     Come play in our challenge this next fortnight.  We love being inspired by what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Nutcrackers

      Conie Fong has a new image set, released just this week and perfect for Christmas.  It's a fabulous set of Nutcrackers which includes a King, a Soldier, and a Drummer.  Click on the word "Nutcrackers" in the previous sentence and that will take you right to them in store.  They are so perfect and I went a little crazy making DT projects with them.  :-D

     I started with this card, using the Nutcracker King image.  He's colored with Sanjoki markers, then cut with a Tonic Studios die.  I used a Sizzix embossing folder on a scrap of CS (Stampin' Up) to make the blue panel, then cut the snowflakes with dies from Impression Obsession.  They have glitter added to them for a tiny bit of sparkle but it just doesn't show up in the photo.  The Noel sentiment was cut with a Die-Versions die.  The final touch was the hand-sewn, satin bow with a pearl.

     Challenges:

     Feeling that the other two Nutcracker images shouldn't be left out, and because my daughter collects nutcrackers as Christmas decorations and displays, I made a two-sided, tree ornament for her.  Both images were colored with Sanjoki markers, then I cut each one with the same Spellbinders die.  

 

     After cutting the images with that die, I cut 7 more of that shape from plain white CS.  I sandwiched all those layers together using double stick tape to make the ornament thick and heavy, and added a scrap of ribbon as the hanger.  (Note: As an afterthought, after the photos had been taken, I applied Mod Podge to both sides and along the edges of the ornament, letting it dry between applications.  It's now very sturdy and can be used year after year.)

     These snowflakes were cut with a die from Cottage Cuts.  Here are photos of both sides of the ornament.

Drummer

 

Soldier

     Challenges:

     Don't forget that we have a monthly challenge going over on the Conie Fong Facebook site with an Anything Goes theme.  All you have to do is use a Conie Fong image (there are freebies available on the site which you can download and use.)  Or, if you've fallen in love with the Nutcrackers, you can pick up all 3 of them in the set for only $4.00!  Again, all you have to do is click on the word "Nutcrackers" in the first paragraph of this post and that link will take you right to them in the Etsy store.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Grateful Piggie

      We're starting a new challenge at Angie's Digital Stamps this morning and the theme is "Anything Goes" (no twist this month.)  This is our last challenge of the year because the DT takes a 2 month break over the holidays.

     I thought this sweet little piggie (Pig Eating from Trough) would be perfect for a Thanksgiving card.  Doesn't he look completely grateful for his holiday corn?  :-D

     I colored him with my ProMarkers and cut the image with a Cottage Cuts stitched die.  I found scraps bits of dp, including the strip of leaves, in my basket, and I think they are all from a DCWV stack.  Although it's difficult t see in the photo, the small leaves along that strip are sparkly and embossed.  I printed my own sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die.  The large leaf is cut from silk and the polka dot bow is hand tied.

I pulled these colors from the photo at

Color My Heart Color Dare #463:

pink, yellow, orange, red, beige, brown + pale blue from shadows on the tree trunks

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Catz

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Pattie's Creations

Simon Says Stamp

TTCRD

     Come play with us since this is our last challenge this year.  We love seeing what you create and also being inspired by your creations.  Since we won't see you in November or December, may I wish you the happiest of holidays now?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Dandelions in the Wind

     I remember as a child discovering how much fun it was to blow on dandelions and watch their delicate seeds drift all over the yard.  I also remember my mom telling me not to do that because she hated having to dig the dandelion plants out of the lawn.  But the temptation was just soooo great.  lol

     Anyway, when I first saw the Dandelion Sprite image at AuroraWings, I bought it and I'm using it on this card today to celebrate a friend's birthday. 

AuroraWings has a sketch challenge this month.

      I colored with ProMarkers, added glitter to the dandelion and seeds, and used Nuvo Crystal Drops on the sprite's flower petals.  The image was cut with stitched dies from Die-Namics.  I also cut the yellow background CS with the largest of those dies and inlaid the image.

     The leaves were cut with a Cheery Lynn die, and the butterfly was cut from burlap paper with a Cottage Cuts die.  I added a strip of Nuvo Crystal Drops for the butterfly's body and added little touches of it to the flowers, too.  The flowers were in  my stash as was the net 'ribbon.' 

     I printed and hand cut the sentiment, inked the edges and adhered it to the card.  I added the birthday sentiment to the inside but forgot to photograph it and the card is already in the mail.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps and More
Crafting by Designs
Creates and Makes
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Shelter
Passion for ProMarkers
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown

     Hey, do you realize that we're halfway to the weekend?  Only 2 more days to go.  Woohoo!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Light of the World

     I decided it was time to play in the challenge over at Delicious Doodles.  I'm not sure when I played there last but since I wanted to use this beautiful image of the lamp post, drawn by Teri a couple of years ago, it seemed the right time to play again.

I used colors from Outlawz Color Challenge

(first column) and made sure I added one extra layer.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then used my newest set of Pinpoint Rectangle Dies from Memory Box to cut the image and two layers of CS for matting the image.  I cut the aqua background and adhered all the layers together on the card front.  The bow is die cut with a Cottage Cutz die. 

     Pretty CAS even with 4 layers.  Unfortunately, the bow in the image looks more red than it actually is.  IRL, it nearly matches the lighter pink of the die cut bow.  Oh, well, chalk that up to the magic of photography.

     Challenges:

Cardz 4 Guyz

Crafting by Designs

Craft Rocket

Crafty Gals Corner

Jo's Scrap Shack

Just Add Ink (Christmas, candle)

Outlawz Twisted Thurs.

Papertake Weekly

Scrap & Craft

Whimsy Inspiration

Winter Wonderland

WordArt Wednesday

     OK, I've made a serious dent in the number of cards which have been commissioned and I'll still have time to make all the extra cards I want to donate to the senior center near my home.  I remember how much pleasure they got from the ones I dropped off last year.  So many seniors simply can't get out to buy cards or gift tags for their family or friends and having a stack of cards there at the center which they can then give to those people makes them oh, so happy.  :-D  So, you're going to see lots more Christmas cards from me over the next 2+ weeks.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Not a Creature was Stirring...

     When I saw this freebie image in The East Wind newsletter, of course I fell in love with the darling felines curled up inside a Christmas bauble and had to use it right away.  This is the card for my gift to the fur babies and I'll include a couple catnip toy mice, which they will love.  :-D

I chose to use the sketch at Sweet Sketch Weds.2 for this card

and I love the way it turned out.

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then added glitter gel ink to the bauble (unfortunately invisible in the photo!)    The image and the green mat are both die cut with one of my new stitched die sets (Memory Box.)  The trees are die cuts (Cottage Cutz) and I added loose glitter to make them sparkle.

     The sparkly ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I have no idea who made the strip of dp.  It was a scrap. The bow with the pearl is one of those I make by the dozens and keep in my stash.  Again, this was made with white ribbon and I used my ProMarker to 'dye' it.  The sentiment, of course, comes from the "T'was the Night Before Christmas" poem but it fit so perfectly -- just look at those two totally zonked-out cats.  :-D

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
A Snowflakes Promise
Colour Your World
Crafting by Designs
Crafting from the Heart
Craft Your Passion
Crafty Addicts  FB Group
DL.ART
I {heart} ProMarkers
Inspiration Destination
Little Red Wagon
One Stitch at a Time
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Paper Shelter
Penny's Paper Crafty
Scrap & Craft
Show Us Your Pussy-Cats Only
Star Stampz

     Thanks for stopping by.   Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

No Bah, Humbug Here!

     My dear blogging friend, Teresa of Tickell Expressions, drew this sweet little skunk (yes, skunks can be sweet!) and the first time I saw it, I just knew it belonged on a Christmas card. The sentiment popped into my head instantly.  Today was the first time I had the opportunity to get that envisioned card made and here it is.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and a white gel pen, then die cut with a rectangle die from Spellbinders.  The mat was cut from dp with a larger die.  The bow is also a die cut (die from Cottage Cuts) and I cut three layers of it (white, navy blue, and patterned) for some dimension.  Both papers are from DCWV.  The Christmas tree charm was in my stash.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
A Gem of a Challenge
Come and Get It
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Friends
Cutie Pie
Di's Digi Designs (bow, digi, sentiment)
I (heart) ProMarkers
Incy Wincy
Inky Chicks
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Not Just Cards
Our Daily Bread
Paper Shelter
Scrapper's Delights
Sisterhood of Crafters

     I hope your week is going well and that the weather is being decent.  If the weather is nasty, then I hope you're warm and toasty inside, playing with your favorite crafty things.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie