'Tis the Season

     It looks like the whole house is sleeping in this morning, including the cats who decided that my bed was the only reasonable place to stay warm.  Made me feel right at home.  lol  But with everyone sleeping, it gives me time to get a couple of posts done without any competition for computer time.

     This image came from the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz and is by LeAnn's World 101.

Colored with watercolor pencils and markers
Glitter added to lights & star on the tree
Image cut with cross stitch die
Sentiment cut with Die-Versions dies
Scraps of ribbon for both the strip and the bow

     Challenges:
Coloring in Scrapland
Creative Crafters
Dies R Us
Dream Valley
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Girls
World Wide DT

     I may have another post in just a short while if the sleeping in continues.  :-D  Have a great weekend and 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 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

Day 5, Letter "E" - 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place

     It's the next day in the alphabet prompts at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas and that means we're going to be doing Elves, Embossing, Embossing folders, Easel cards, Evergreens, Ecru, Ebony, and Embellishments.  Whew, that may be my longest list of the entire 30 days!

     I used another of Beccy's images from her (now retired) 12 Days of Christmas set, this time using the piper from 11 Pipers Piping and turning him into an Elf.  I think it was the Elf boots and Santa hat that made me see him as an Elf.   My card is actually a twisted Easel card.

Colored with ProMarkers
Elf was fussy cut with scissors
   and mounted on dimensional dots
Evergreen bough cut with Memory Box die
Pine cones cut from Ecru CS
Embossing folder by Couture Creations
"Noel" die by Die-versions
Card base is Ebony CS

     Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
Carlin's Card Paradise
CCC Digi Creations
Christmas Crafts All Year Round
Dies R Us
Love to Scrap
Passion for ProMarkers
Prika Crafts  (top row)
Scrap, Paper, Scissors

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Saturday Night Cat Bath

     We've all heard of the Saturday night bath and we've all heard of a cat bath but this is a Saturday Night Cat Bath!  Come to think of it, this may actually be an annual, autumn bath!  Only in House Mouse land.  lol

I took colors from the challenge at Scribbles Designs.

ProMarkers for coloring
Die-versions stitched die
Sheer, hand-tied bow

     Challenges:
Bastel-Traum
Coloring in Scrapland
Creatalicious
Creative Moments
Die Cut Divas
House Mouse
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
World Wide Open DT

     That's it for today.  Unfortunately, the first cold germ of the season has found me and my poor sinuses are so stuffed, I can hardy breath.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get my posts done for Halloween and for Friday when the first of the month rolls around.  Can you believe I'll have 5 posts that day?   Be sure to come see them all.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Feline Nativity

  This is the last day of the 2019 Cat Lovers Hop.

 Haven't played before but interested?

Click HERE.

     Feeling that I nearly cheated on yesterday's post because it only had one tiny cat in a die cut, I went a little crazy with die cut cats for this Christmas card.  For those of you who know me and the kinds of cards I enjoy making, you'll see right away that this is outside my "normal" creation.  Still, I do occasionally do cards that are filled with only die cuts so it's not a completely new venture.

Background is dry embossed with "Linen" folder

Manger & star cut with Die-versions die

Cats are cut with Poppy Stamps and Impression Obsession dies

Sentiment cut with Cheery Lynn die

Sparkle paper for manger is from Recollections

     Challenges:

Art Impressions

Cute Card Thurs

Dragonfly Dreams

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Outlawz Festive Fri

Pammie's Inky Pinkies

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Polkadoodles

Winter Wonderland

     That wraps up the Cat Lovers Hop for this year but I'm sure we'll all be hopping along next year at this same time.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cowboy Pumpkin

     It's Friday again and I'm sharing another DT card for QKR Stampede.  Our theme is always Anything Goes.  As you can see, I've done another Halloween card, this time using a cute QKR image called "Cowboy Pumpkin."  The sentiment is also from QKR - "Happy Halloween."

Colored with ProMarkers
Fussy cut with scissors
Silhouettes cut with dies from Memory Box & Die-versions
Burlap cloth for background texture
Kraft card base

This one is also for Day 5 of the Cat Lovers Blog Hop.

Haven't played before but interested in joining?

Click HERE.

Before you tell me there's no cat, look on the fence!

LOL  Tiny but there, nonetheless.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
C.R.A.F.T.
Creative Fingers
Cut It Up
My Favorite Things
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Penny's Paper-Crafty

     Thanks for visiting today and come play with us this week won't you?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tis the Season of Magical Reindeer and Elves

     Day 4 in the week-long, Christmas in July challenges at Catch the Bug and today's theme is BINGO + "Inspired by the movie Elf."  My BINGO choices were Ribbon & Bow/ Bugaboo image/ Die cut. 

     I have several Elf images in my collection of Bugaboo Stamps but the one I used today is one of my absolute favorites.   It has a sense of magic with a reindeer that flies and an elf who makes toys for Santa.

Don't they look like they're waiting for Santa to come back from vacation?  lol

ProMarkers
Sue Wilson (background panel) & Die-Versions (sentiment) dies
Satin ribbon & bow
3 gems
Kraft CS for card base
Almost everything was cut or put together from scraps, including the ribbon strip and bow.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Crafty Gals Corner
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Girls
Pile It On
Pixie's Snippets
Scrappy Land

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

...Not even a Mouse

     So it's nearly the middle of July, and definitely the middle of the year and I'm finally doing my first Christmas tag for the year!  It's 4" x 4" and the perfect size for the stamp.  The stamp is from Mo's Digital Pencil and I think it's the first one I ever got from Mo's.  I know I've had it a long time, maybe as much as 10 years, and I've used it for several cards over the years.  If you're not familiar with her delightful art, do go check them out!

   

ProMarkers to color
Die-Versions to cut sentiment (cut from scrap)
Bo Bunny dp scraps
Scrap of ribbon from stash

     Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
A Gem of a Challenge
Aloha Friday
Crafty Calendar
Cute N Crafty
Cute N Crafty Christmas
Double Trouble
Outlawz Greetings
Retro Rubber
Southern Girls

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Wishes

     This card was made using a wonderful freebie image from Beccy's Place.  The monthly challenges over there are almost like having a progressive challenge because Beccy always gives a freebie but even better, you can use the freebie or any other Beccy's image you have.

     In addition, Beccy gives an OPTIONAL twist and this month the option is to CASE yourself.  You can see the card I CASEd by going to my post from May 20.  Not only is it also a birthday card, but it has the same short-side, gate fold card.  I also added a die cut panel to the opposite flap.

ProMarkers
Lawn Fawn dies on image
Die-Versions die on panel
Signature bow

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Aud Sentiments
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Catz
Creative Inspirations
Lemon Shortbread
Paper Shelter
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Live Simply

     I adore the image at the Progressive Challenge for LeAnn's World 101 this month, which you'll find on their FB page.  It reminds me of how wonderful it can be to just live simply.

     This is a one layer card and I printed the image right onto the card front, then colored with my ProMarkers, adding a few highlights with white gel pen.  The die cut sentiment was made with a die from Die-versions.  The original sentiment was inside a circle but I cut that away and used just the words.  No embellishments because I wanted this to be very CAS in keeping with the sentiment.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting by Designs
Creative Inspirations
Cute N Crafty
Double Trouble
I {heart} ProMarkers
Scrappy Land
Words to Crafty By

     A short post today but my time at the computer is limited.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

January Challenge at Creations in Pink

     Once Christmas is over, it's time for all the Thank You cards.  I've made a dozen or so and this is the one I did as my DT card for the newest challenge over at Creations in Pink.  We don't have a sponsor this month but we're having a ton of fun doing "Anything Goes" projects with any supplies we wish!

     My design is all die cuts this time.  The main shape is cut from pink CS with a Spellbinders border die; the flower flourish comes from a Memory Box die, trimmed to fit; and the individual flowers are done with dies from that same set.  The "Thanks" was cut with a Die-Versions die.

     That beautiful plaid dp is from a My Favorite Things stack.  I added glitter to the flowers and everything was placed on a pale pink card base.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Creations
Dragonfly Dreams
Dream Valley
Get Creative
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
TTCRD
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Flamingo and Unicorn Christmas

     I'm sharing another commission for two Christmas cards for 6 and 4 year old granddaughters.  The 6 year old loves unicorns and purple is her favorite color (mine, too!) and the 4 year old loves flamingos and her favorite color is pink.  Their Nana chose the images from many which I have in my collection and I did card designs which complement each other in style.

     First, the Flamingo:

     I don't know who drew this image.  It was in my collection of clip art.  I colored the image with my ProMarkers, then die cut it with an Unbranded die. 

     I dug out a Cheery Lynn die to cut the hat and scarf but had to add the pointy bit and the pompom myself since the hat was just a simple stocking cap and I wanted it to look more like a Santa hat.  I colored the brim with white gel ink.  I folded the scarf piece before adding it to the flamingo's neck.

     The sentiment was cut with a die from Die-Versions, and I added a glittery snowflake for some texture.

     Challenges for this card:
A Gem of a Challenge
Brown Sugar
Crafty Friends
Crafty Hazelnut's
Outlawz Festive Friday

     Next, the Unicorn:

     This unicorn is an image from Bugaboo Stamps.  Again, I colored with ProMarkers, adding gold paint pen to the unicorn horn, then used the same Unbranded die to cut the image.  The hat is cut with that same Cheery Lynn die and I added the pointy bit and the pompom to make it into a Santa hat.  The 'fur' is done with white gel pen.

     I used the same die cut to cut the sentiment and added another glittered snowflake.  I think these two sisters will love their cards.  ;-D

     Challenges for the unicorn card:
Catch the Bug (Texture/ No dp/ Bugaboo image)
Crafty Calendar
Di's Digi Designs
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack

     That's it, my friends.  I trust you are on top of all the holiday things which seem to mount up during the last few days before Christmas.  How nice it is to NOT be the home to which the entire family will flock for Christmas dinner.  I love letting someone else in the family do all the cleaning and cooking and decorating while I simply travel to their house for the festivities.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie     

Here Comes Santa Claus

     This morning, I have the honor of being a Guest Designer for the Songs and Rhymes challenge at The Outlawz.  The challenge always uses lyrics as the inspiration for their challenge and this week it's "Here Come Santa Claus."

     I've done a pretty simple card using all die cuts instead of a hand colored image but I really like it even though it's different from what I normally create.

     I used dies from Die-Versions (Santa Sleigh and Reindeer), Art Impressions (Snowflakes), and Die-namics (North Pole sign.)  All of the snowflakes are heat embossed with clear EP.  Everything was adhered to blue CS.  No embellies, just the die cuts.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Crafty Gals Corner
Cute N Crafty Christmas
Double D
Double Trouble  (all 3)
Dream Valley
Paper Girls
{Pin}spirational
Scrappy Land
Three Amigos

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Forest Friends

     Today we start a new challenge at Colour Crazy and our wonderful sponsor is Polkadoodles.  They were generous and supplied images for the DT to use.  Mine is called "Forest Friends" and I think it's one of the most delightful images I've seen this season.  It features an adorable woodland fairy with two of her little forest friends; a deer and and a bunny.  I think deer are my favorite Christmas animals but that's probably because of the association with Santa's reindeer, which are favorites of all children because they deliver Santa and the presents!

     I colored the image with ProMarkers, and added "Frosted Lace" Stickles to the furry pieces of her dress and scarf.  I used loose glitter on her halo and added touches of white gel ink to the snow on the tree.  I used gold paint pen on her little wings.

     The frame for the image and the large snowflake were cut with dies from Spellbinders.  The sentiment pieces were cut with a Die-Versions die.  I used that deep, burgundy red for all the die cuts because it's my favorite when combined with traditional Christmas greens.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Butterfly
Crafting by Designs
Creative Inspirations
Creative Knockouts
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz SAR

     Come play with us this week, won't you?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Holiday Chaos - Day 6

     The Holiday Chaos week of daily challenges at Catch the Bug is almost over, with only one more day to go after today.  The inspiration theme is a color challenge, using this photo inspiration.

    Here's what I did with it.

     I started with a pre-colored image, then used ProMarkers to add orange and yellow to the birds and carrot noses on the snowmen, and a bit of gray to the sky.  I cut the image square with my largest die from QuicKutz, then cut two straight lines to run the ribbon behind the image.

     I tied a simple, plaid bow, added it at the bottom, and used a Die-Versions die to cut the red sentiment.  Again, a card design that's pretty CAS overall and definitely flat enough to mail.

     Challenges:
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Friends
Crafty Hazelnut's
Di's Digi Designs
Fussy and Fancy
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz PAM
Polkadoodles
Simon Says Stamp & Show (bow, birds, bells)

     That's all I have for today but 2 posts in one day should be enough.  I'll have 2 posts tomorrow, too; the last of the Catch the Bug Holiday Chaos projects and a new one for the challenge at QKR Stampede.  Be sure to check in for those.

    Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Holiday Chaos Day 3 - Gift Card Holder

     Today is Day 3 of the week-long, Holiday Chaos daily challenges at Catch the Bug.  I'm up to date on making projects for the challenges and today we need to make some form of gift wrap, gift bags, gift card holders - you get the idea.  I did a gift card holder using this cute little Santa from Bugaboo Stamps.

     This is the front of the gift cardholder.  I decided to use basic red and white, my favorite Christmas color combo, then colored the image with ProMarkers and paint pens (a tiny touch of silver and gold.)  I cut it with a QuicKutz die.  The sentiment was cut with a die from Die-Versions and all the little snowflakes were done with Art Impressions dies.

     The inside looks like this:

     The card is actually a gate fold card, but the inside flap is adhered at top and bottom to make the pocket for the gift card.  I don't have the gift card yet so I just tucked a piece of CS into the pocket for visual definition.  The plaid paper bits were scraps from my desk and came from a stack by Your Next Stamp.

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Crafty Catz
Crafty Creations
Creative Knockouts
Cute N Crafty
Paper Girls
Winter Wonderland

     I'll see you tomorrow with another post.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Ornaments

     Last week, I did something new to me - I made an ornament for the Christmas tree by stacking layers of die cut CS.  I liked the result enough to try making a couple more of them.  This time, I did one with a colored image and a second one using just the die cut itself.

     I used another adorable image from Beccy's Place, colored with a combo of ProMarkers and Copics, plus white gel ink for the highlights.  I cut it with a stitched, scalloped die from Memory Box, then cut 4 more from plain, white CS.  I added the ribbon hanger between the two middle layers.  One of the things I learned is that it was extremely difficult to get the scallops to line up exactly!  It seems it should be easy but it wasn't.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
House that Stamps Built
Outlawz Greetings
Simon Says Stamp and Show (basket and bauble)

     Here's the second one I made.

     This next one was cut from red CS with a Die-Versions die.  I cut 2 from the red and 4 more from white CS.  The red ones are the top and bottom layers.  This time I used twine for the hanger instead of ribbon but it's still added between the middle layers.  I put ruby red glitter on the exclamation mark.

      Challenges:
Cupcake Inspirations
Dream Valley
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Penny's Paper Crafty
Simon Says

     There will be a second post later today for the Holiday Chaos week of daily challenges at Catch the Bug.  Hope you'll have time to stop by again.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Holiday Chaos at Catch the Bug - Day 2

     This week there are going to be a few days with double posts and this is one of them.  It turns out that the week-long "Holiday Chaos" challenges at Catch the Bug are going on this week and I plan to play each day.  Today, the challenge is to use the sketch they provided.  I turned it on end because of the shape of the image I wanted to use.

     Do you remember the version of "Jingle Bells" done with the cats meowing the melody?  I'm sure these are the three feline, musical stars who did that recording.  lol

     I colored those three singing cats with ProMarkers, cut the image with a simple rectangle die from Tonic Studios, and cut a frame for it out of sparkly CS with a die from Bo Bunny.  The plaid papers are from Your Next Stamp.  I cut the sentiment words with a Die Versions die.  With all that plaid, the only embellishment needed was one of my hand-sewn, signature bows.  The punched dot in the center of it is covered with sparkle gel ink but, sadly, it doesn't show in the photo.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Creative Inspirations
House that Stamps Built
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Mod Squad
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Your Next Stamp (Cats Jingle Bells + YNS papers)

     If you missed my first post today, just scroll down to the next post.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Burning the Yule Log

     Two days left in the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and the prompt today is the letter "Y."  I decided on a salute to the tradition of the Yule log (see Yule Log history HERE) and used the Hearth set from Beccy's Place.  This set is so versatile, having a wide variety of add-ons which can be used with the central fireplace.  It can be used for cards throughout the fall and winter seasons.

     This is a pre-colored image, printed and fussy cut with scissors.  The Yule log and flames are printed and hand-cut separately, then mounted on dimensional tape so that it stands out from the fireplace interior.  The cat and his ball of yarn are also separate, fussy cut, and mounted on dimensional dots.

     The dark green dp serves as the wallpaper in the room, and everything is mounted onto a green card base.  I used green satin ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and hand tied a bow made from plaid ribbon.  I didn't add a lot of embellishment beyond the ribbon and bow because I really wanted to maintain the feel of being inside a room, next to the fireplace.

     The sentiment was cut with a die from Die-Versions.
   
     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Sentiment Designs
Digi Choosday
Hiding in My Craft Room
Outlawz Festive Fri.
SUYP Cats
TTCRD
Tues. Throwdown

     We're halfway through the week today and on a wind down to the weekend.  That means there will be more crafting time!  Yeah, Hooray!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie