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

Off for a Great Adventure

      Remember when you were young and the seeming adventures of a country road or pathway invited you to follow it as the sun rose to light the day?  That's what today's card celebrates!  Our theme at FarmQuest for the next 2 weeks is "Sunrise or Sunset" and all you need it a country feel to go with that.  No cityscapes or downtown streets, no metro rails or freeways, just rural scenes or country skies.

     My image is a clip art photo I found online, enhanced with Sanjoki markers (fence and flowers) and neon ProMarkers for the bright yellow sunlight.  The gray clouds were colored with polychromos pencils.  The image and the blue frame were both cut with dies by Die-namics.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, then a neon ProMarker was used to ink the edges.  The strip of dp came from my scrap basket.

     Challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations (1/3)

Digi Chooseday (1/2)

Double Trouble (1/3)

Inspiration Station (open field, colors, adventure)

Pammie's IP  (1/3)

     Wishing you a great day and thanks for visiting.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Gray Wolf

      I'm finally posting a card I made several weeks ago using this fabulous image "Wolf" from Eureka Stamps, sister brand to QKR Stampede.  Challenges over there are still on hold while we await the sale of the QKR Stampede and Eureka Stamps brands.  In the meantime, I'm using cards I put in my stash for masculine birthdays and this is one of them.

     I used a combo of Sanjoki alcohol markers and water color paints to color the image, then cut it with a CUTplorations stitched die.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a die from Die-namics.  The paw print embossing was done with a Darice EF.  As a final masculine touch, I added the three, tiny, metal brads.

     Challenges:

Can You Handle...?

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Friday

Pammie's IP

Pattie's Creations

Penny's P-C

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Purr-fect!

      It's time for another challenge at Crafty Catz, where our theme is always Anything Goes but we also offer you an OPTIONAL theme, if you want to use it.  Our option this week is "Hot Colors" and all I have to do is look out the window of my craft room and I can see heat and hot colors far beyond anything I care to see!  

     When is this heat wave going to end?  We're on day 14 in a row of being over 100 F and the 'good' news from the weatherman this morning was we may stay at 100 F today instead of going above it.  I suppose that's better than 110 but once it reaches 100, it pretty much all feels the same.  And the heat wave doesn't officially end until we have 2 days in a row of  99 F or below.  Yuck!

     Ok, information about my card - since we don't have a sponsor this week, we could use whatever we wanted on our DT projects.  I chose a cute image from Eureka Stamps called "Big and Little Cat" and a sentiment from QKR Stampede called "You're Purrfect."  

     I used Sanjoki markers to color the cat image and then fussy cut it with scissors. That image is mounted on dimensional dots.  I printed, colored (polychromos pencils), and cut the sentiment with a Die-namics die.  I found some lovely fiber paper for the background (DCWV), giving great texture to the entire design. 

I used colors from CRAFTalnica.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Country View

Crafts Galore ...

I Love Markers

Let's Craft & ...

SUYP Cats

Word Art Weds

     Come play with us this week.  It's our last challenge before we take a summer break throughout the month of August.  We'll be  back on the first Friday of September and I hope to be able to tell you that things have cooled down some.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

For a Baby

      I adore today's image from Conie Fong, called "Baby Buttercup."  Conie Fong is sponsoring the challenge this week at Crafty Catz.  I decided to do the kind of card we used to do back in the days before most parents knew if it was a boy or girl halfway through the pregnancy.  I used a color combo of both pink and blue, suitable for either one.

     Believe it or not, I found the background dp (Recollections stack) and that helped me decide on the overall color combo.  I colored the image with Sanjoki alcohol markers, then cut it and the two frames with Die-namics stitched dies.  Everything is inlaid so the image and both frames actually make only a single layer but look like 3 separate layers.

     I hand-tied the white bow, then printed and cut the sentiment with another Die-namics die from that same set.  I thought turning everything on an angle gave some nice visual interest to the card.

     Challenges:

CRAFT-alnica

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

I Love Markers

Jan's Digi Stamps

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's IP

Paper Funday

Word Art Weds

     I hope we'll see you playing in the challenge.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Time for Purple & Pink

      We have a new challenge starting over at Crafty Catz this morning and our theme is always Anything Goes but we also offer you an OPTIONAL theme if you want to use it.  This week the option is: Purple and Pink!  I love this combo and purple is my favorite color regardless of theme or season or subject matter so this worked perfectly for me.

     Our sponsor this week is Di's Digi Designs and, while they weren't able to supply the DT with images to use, I did have this one in my collection so used it to do pink and purple.  Aren't those hedgies adorable?

     I colored with my Sanjoki markers and cut the image with a QuicKutz die.  The sentiment was cut with a Die-namics die.  The diagonal strip of dp came from the scrap basket and I'm pretty sure it's made by Doodlebug.  The lace bow was hand tied and added as the primary embellishment.

     This one goes in my birthday stash!  

I chose colors from My Favorite Things.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Creative Inspirations

Di's Digi Designs

Dream Valley

Happy ... Stampers

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Friday

Pammie's IP

Simon Says Stamp

     I hope you'll come and play in our challenge this week.  We love being inspired by you.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cutest Bunny Butt

      Is this the cutest 'Bunny Butt' ever?  It's from Can You Digi It and it's been in my stash forever!  Well, for a long time, anyway.  I just decided that it would make a cute Easter card so I colored it up with my new Sanjoki markers, then cut it with a Die-namics die.  

     The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I chose a dp scrap from the basket, cut it with the same Die-namics die and inset the image into it.  Then I embellished the card with a butterfly gem and with small rows of gems in the lower corner.

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Digi Choosday

Paper Funday

Paperminutes

Passion for Markers

Penny's P-C

Simon Says ...

     I'm off to my craft fair this morning but I'll have another post for you late this afternoon when I return home.  Wish me luck at the fair.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"N" is for Naughty List

      Another quick post today for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and this is for the Letter "N."  The expression on this robin's face from Beccy's Place just seemed perfect for the Naughty List sentiment (also Beccy's Place.)  Other "N"s include: North Pole and Noel. 

     The image was colored with ProMarkers and cut with a Dare 2B Artzy circle die.  I used a QuicKutz die to cut the large, red square behind the image, then I ran it through my 'Linen' embossing folder before mounting the image on top of it.  The striped dp is distressed and came from a stack by Authentic.  The Noel was cut with a Die-versions die and for the North Pole sign, I used a Die-namites die.

     I've been really under the weather the last several days and am not entering this card into any other challenges, mostly because I'm not able to type up a list of links to such challenges today.  If that changes, I'll add them later.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Grow Where You're Planted

      I've finally completed the monthly Progressive Challenge at the Outlawz, using the image provided for this month from Hetty Clare.  It's Called "Flower Pot Hat" and I think it's darling.  :-D  A perfect "I wish it was spring" image!

     I used a combination of my ProMarkers and some water coloring to color the image, then I cut it on an angle with a stitched die from Die-namics.  Once that was done, I decided on a gate fold card and went looking for papers that would enhance the design.  I found the plaid paper in my scrap basket, cut it to fit each of the two panels of the 'gate,' and mounted the image piece.

     The sentiment was printed and cut with a QuicKutz die.  I tied a double layer, bowtie bow, then added both it and the sentiment.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Creative Creases

Digi Choosday

Double Trouble (all 3)

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

      Have yourself a Happy Crafting kind of day.   NanaConnie

Thinking of You

      In the midst of all the Valentine themed cards I've been doing for the last couple of weeks, I took the time to do this one which features an image by Christine Karron, the January sponsor for the Thursday Twist challenge over on the Outlawz.  I have the honor of being a Guest Designer this month and it was through that GDT spot that I first learned of Christine Karron and her lovely art work.

     Thursday Twist challenges always have an "Anything goes" theme but they also give an optional twist which you can use if you want to enter twice.  The optional theme this fortnight is "Fantasy."

     I used ProMarkers and polychromos pencils to color the image, then cut it with a stitched die from Die-namics.  The black frame was cut with a QuicKutz die.  The background was done with watercolors.  I tried for an ombre effect but watercolor is often hard to control and I'm not sure I really got the proper definition between light and dark.  But I did love how it turned out so I ironed it dry (medium cotton setting) and used it for the background.  I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die, added a black mat, and sewed one of my signature, satin bows with a pearl for embellishment.

This is based on Sketch 221 at Sweet Sketch Weds,

turned a quarter turn.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspiration

Dies R Us

Get Creative

Outlawz Festive Fri

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Word Art Weds

Your Next Stamp

     See you at The Outlawz!   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Winter Birthday

      It feels so good to be back coloring up Conie Fong digis!   I was on a break for nearly 2 months and I really missed them.  :-D  The one I used today is called "Emily with Penguin" and she comes in 2 different versions, this one and one with braided hair.  The set also has Christmas sentiments but, as you can see, she works well as a 'non-Christmas' winter image.

     She's been colored with ProMarkers, then cut with a stitched die from Die-namics.  I framed the image by cutting a diagonal scrap with the same stitched die and layering the image into it.  The "icicles" above the image were made by using a scrap bit of CS from which I had cut a large sentiment using a Memory Box die.  That was for another project but as I was about to toss out the leftover bits, I saw icicles and held onto the scrap.   A few days later, and it was perfect for this card.

     I printed the birthday sentiment, then cut it with an Avery Elle die.  The bow was hand-tied using some very old crinkle ribbon and I added a small, metal brad.  

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Festive Fri

Taylormadecards ...

Three Room Studio

     Remember, at Conie Fong we have two challenges each month; one is for completed projects (like this one) and the other is for coloring of images only, without having to turn them into a card or other project.  Come play - all you need is a Conie Fong image to enter one or the other!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Happy New Everythings!

      It's a New Day in a New Year and a New Challenge (first one of 2022) over at QKR Stampede.  I've used a "New to me" QKR image, called "Baby Bear."  I'm also celebrating a New Great-Grandson who arrived just in time to be a New tax deduction for the happy, New parents!  

      I used my ProMarkers to color the image, the cut it and the frame with Die-namics stitched dies. The frame is embossed using my "Linen" EF.  The background dp is from Lawn Fawn.  I printed the sentiment, then cut and matted it using Avery Elle dies.  The ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I hand tied the bow.

My colors were inspired by the lower, right hand

photo on this board from Lawn Fawnatics.

     Challenges:

Clever Dexter

Crafts Galore Encore

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creatalicious

Dies R Us

Digi Doodle

Mirtillamente

     Come play in our "Anything Goes" challenge this fortnight.  We'd love to see what you create and it's always fun to be inspired by you.  You are free to use any image from any company, but if you use an image from QKR (or our sister digi company, Eureka Stamps), your entry will be put into a separate draw just for those, and that increases your chances of winning by quite  lot.  :-D  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Nativity Cards

      Today I'm sharing two more of the 'all die cut' cards I made last month.  These were all donated to a local Senior Center so that seniors who use that center but who have transportation limitations could choose card to give to family and friends.  Not everyone can just run down to the Hallmark store to buy Christmas cards for their grandkids,  :-D

     The two cards feature both the positive and the negative of the same die cut Nativity scene (die from Die-namics), which is why I wanted to share them in the same post.  

     Please take notice of the two sentiments - they are my favorite Christmas sentiments because they both proclaim the basis of Christmas celebrations.  We all love the fun Santa and Elf themes, and woodland critters in the snow are a joy, but Christmas and the birth of the Christ Child is what I celebrate, personally, so these are my favorite sentiments.  :-D

First, the positive:

The Nativity was cut from embossed, glittered CS and

I cut and arranged the pieces so that they would look staggered.

The star shape (which you'll see below) was cut off and used 

on a completely different card.  In fact, this was cut originally 

because I wanted just the star for that other project, 

but I didn't want to waste the rest of the cut.

The sentiment on this one is also done with a Die-namics die

and the two background papers are from the scrap pile.

Now, here's the negative:

All I did was to mount the negative onto a piece of

black CS to make it a silhouette, then trimmed it to fit, 

and layered it onto a background of patterned dp from DCWV.  

Sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

I added one of my signature bows.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Inspirations

House...Stamp Built

Mod Squad

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Word Art Weds

     That's all for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

'Tis the Season

      Today we start a new challenge over at I Love ProMarkers and our sponsor is Colour of Love.  I'm getting on well with all my pre-scheduled December posts and I hope to be back into my normal routine for January posts.  This image is called "Rory - Tis the Season."

     I used my ProMarkers to color sweet Rory, then cut the image with a Spellbinders die.  The green CS and the red dp (from Graphic 45) were both cut with dies from Die-namics, as was the sentiment.  The holly embellie was done by fussy cutting a scrap of dp which came from Beccy's Place.  The grosgrain bow was hand-tied.  I think hand-tied bows are my favorite embellishment for Christmas cards because they are quick, easy, and work well with nearly every card design.  This one just happened to use up the last scrap of that green, polka dot ribbon.

     Challenges:

Art Impressions

As You Like It

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Gals Corner

Crafty Catz

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paper Shelter

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Scrapping4fun

     This is our last challenge for the year and it's going to run an extra week until January 3, 2022.  We'll be back on January 5 with the first of our 2022 challenges.  In the meantime, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Cookies in a Mitten

      This is my second post today for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and it's for the letter "C."  Again, this is one of Beccy's fun images and my "C"s include Cookies, Christmas, glitter papers from Crafty Home, & Crimson.  

     The image is cut with a Spellbinders die, embossed around the edges.  The Christmas sentiment is cut from a scrap of gold glitter paper using a Die-Namics die and backed with another scrap of silver glitter paper.  I put those onto a scrap of crimson paper.  The background dp is from Graphic 45.  I hand-tied the white satin bow.

     Challenges:

Christmas Kickstart

Crafty Sentiments

Gem of a Challenge

Lemon Shortbread

Peace on Earth

Simon Says Stamp

     Have yourself a wonderful weekend (what's left of it) and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Screechy Witch

      This fun but spooky witch is a freebie image from the Beccy's Place challenge this month and it's just too good to miss!  I was also invited to be a Guest Designer for the Tic  Tac Toe Challenge and the Board for this challenge looks like this:

and here's my card using the top row of Sparkle/ Embossing/ Any shape die:

     Everything was made using scraps, including the CS on which I printed the image.  I colored the witch with my ProMarkers, giving her skin a slight greenish tinge and making the band on her hat a dirty purple so that you know it's as old as she is and had never been cleaned.  lol

    The black paper with the bats was cut with a Cheery Lynn doily die.  I stamped the bats with Versamark ink and heat embossed them with shiny gold EP.  The pumpkins (Die-namics die) were heat embossed with glitter EP and I added yellow Stickles to the faces.  It was fun getting both the sparkle and the embossing done with embossing powder.  :-D

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Crafty Calendar

Creative Embellishments

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz PAM

Paper Shelter

Taylormade ...

     If you've never played at Tic Tac Toe Challenge before, this would be a great week to start!  Hope to see you there.  NanaConnie

Basket Kitty - Day 2 Cat Lovers Hop

      

     I was so honored this year when Janis reached out and asked me if I would Guest Design a couple of days on the 2021 Cat Lovers Hop.  I jumped at the chance!  I was lucky enough to get to use two adorable cat images from Ike's Art and this is the first of them, called "Basket Cat."  For more information but the hop and about the fun images from Ike's used in the hop, check out the main Cat Lovers post here.

     This is day 2 of the hop and it runs through this coming Saturday.  You can enter each day and there are tons of prizes from many sponsors plus daily games to play.  You'll meet lots of other cat lovers, all of whom are fun loving and more-or-less obsessed with all things feline.

     On my card for today, I kept it pretty simple and had fun adding a bit of humor.  However, any cat 'parent' (defined as someone who is owned by a cat(s) and required to feed, clothe, house, entertain and pay the doctor bills for the cats) will know that although humorous, the sentiment also reflects compete truth!  lol

    I colored with ProMarkers, and cut the image with a stitched die from Die-namics.  I used the same die to cut the DCWV dp and inlaid the image into it.  The sentiment was printed and cut with another Die-namics die.  I dyed one of my hand-sewn, signature bows using a ProMarker and added a scrap of punched CS to the center of it.

     Challenges:

Colouring in Scrapland

Crafty Sentiments

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Ike's World

Lemon Shortbread

SUYP Cats

TTCRD

     My second GDT card for the Cat Lovers Hop will be posted on Thursday so be sure to check back.

Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmouse Wishes

      Today I'm sharing my DT card for I Love Promarkers, featuring an image from our sponsor, Hetty Clare, which is called "Christmouse Wishes."   Our theme for this challenge is "Dies or Masks" and now I have one more card for the Christmas stash!

     I colored with my ProMarkers and used a QuicKutz die to cut the image.  The red circle behind the image was cut with a die from Dare 2B Artzy.  The image was layered onto a piece of dp from DCWV.  The background is a piece of Graphic 45 dp.  

     I found some lovely satin, snowflake, ribbon and used it for the strip across the card front and for the hand tied bow.  The single sparkly snowflake was cut from glitter paper with a Die-namics die.

My colors came from the CMH Color Dare 

board #465, first column plus gold.

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Hazelnut's

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Polkadoodles

Scrapping4Fun

Word Art Weds

     It would be great to see you playing along in our challenge.  We do love being inspired by you and your creations.  So grab a die or a mask and make something wonderful to inspire us!  

     

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Owls and Stockings

      I supposed all creatures hang stockings for Santa to fill and I remember seeing this darling Penny Black stamp for the first time.  I fell in love and it went right into my cart.  :-D   That was a few years back and I've used it before on Christmas cards but I used non-traditional colors.  I think this is the first time I've done it all in red and green.

     Colored with ProMarkers and pencils, with gel pens for highlights.  I cut the image and the sentiment with Die-namics dies.  For the sentiment piece, I cut it once, then shifted the die and cut again to get the size/shape I needed.  

     The diagonal dp is a scrap left over from another project and is from a Graphic 45 stack.  The snowflake is cut from felt.  I kept the card as flat as possible because it's going to be mailed.

     Challenges:

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Double D

House...Stamps Built

I love ProMarkers

Lemon Shortbread

Paper Shelter

Passion for Markers

Penny Black Sat

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Kitties in the Pumpkin Patch

      These adorable kittens, all siblings from the same litter I'm sure, are spending November evening in the pumpkin patch under the full moon.  The image, called "Pumpkin Kitties," is one of the newest releases from Conie Fong and it's on sale for another day or two.  

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut the image with a Die-Namics stitched die.  I layered two of the dp together, then cut them with a CUT-plorations die.  The background dp is from a K & Co. stack.  I added a strip of grosgrain ribbon and tied a triple loop bow, using sheer ribbon from my stash of scraps.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Cute Card Thurs

Creative Fingers

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Scrapping4Fun

TicTacToe

 (Diagonal: Ribbon/ Coloring/ Animal)

Uniko

     Don't forget to come and play in one of our two challenges this month.  We have one for colored Conie Fong images only and a second one for completed projects using Conie Fong images.  Both can be found on the Facebook site.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie