Black Cat and Bats

      Today I have another Halloween card, on which I used the Anne Fenton image from  the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz.  Of course, I love the image because it's one of Anne's but also because it has a cat.

     I colored it with water color paints and cut it with a die from Tonic Studios.  I matted it with a scrap of dp from  DCWV.  I cut some purple CS to the size of the A2 card front, and layered the image on top of it.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The three gold bats were fussy cut from a scrap of Paper Pizzazz CS.  The black bats were hand drawn into the image background and the moon was created with yellow alcohol markers.

     Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

Happy...Stampers

Outlawz Tuesday

Penny's P-C

SUYP Cats

Two Old Bats

WordArt Weds

     That's it for today but I'll be posting again tomorrow for the Crafty Catz weekly challenge and you really need to check it out.  See you then.  

     Happy Crafting,  NanaConnie

Green Witch ATC

      After doing Halloween cards all month, I got inspired to do an ATC.  I went a little bit fancy on the to of it instead of just the normal straight edge but nobody has accused me of being "normal," at least not lately.  :-D

     The green witch has been colored with ProMarkers and gel pens.  The sentiment was printed and then cut with an Avery Elle die.  No embellishments; I wanted that evil witch to be the focus.

This is also my Day 30 entry for the
 LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop.

 

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Trick or Treat

     Late last week, I promised I'd have another Halloween card which featured an .svg file and here it is.  This file is also from the Silhouette Store.  I put it on orange CS and this time, I cut it with a die from Tonic Studios.  I really love the bats!  

     There are 2 background layers, one purple and one black, but beyond that, the card is totally CAS. No ribbon, no embellies of any kind, a very masculine card for a young boy.

     Challenges:

4 Season

Crafty Calendar

Di's Digi Designs

Get Creative

Lil Patch of  ... 

Pammie's Inky Pinkies

Polkadoodles

This is Halloween

TTCRD

Two Old Bats

     That's all I have for today but I'm spending this Labor Day holiday at the craft desk, coloring and layering together a few more cards so we'll just have to wait and see what else gets posted this week.  More Halloween, I'm sure, but maybe some other fall/autumn cards, too.  I have family birthdays each month from May through December and most of those come around in the fall so lots of birthday cards need to be prepared for the stash.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Halloween in November?

      Halloween in November?  Let me try to convince you that this is actually a Christmas card.  Aside from the fact that I love Halloween all year round, and that I'm entering this card in the "Anything Halloween" challenge over at Two Old Bats, this image shows what happens when the witches are packing up their Halloween decor before they decorate for the Christmas season.  Hmmmm, maybe this IS how they decorate for Christmas!!  Nah, they at least need a tree.  :-D

     I used ProMarkers on the image, cut it with a paper trimmer, then did the corners with a Fiskars punch.  The papers are from my fall/Halloween stash and are just scraps.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Colour Crazy

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creatalicious

Creative Fingers

Paperbabe

Polkadoodles

Taylormade ...

Two Old Bats

     That's all I have for today but I'll be back tomorrow with one or maybe two posts for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.  In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Magical Halloween

      Our next challenge at Paper Funday starts today and our theme is "Halloween or Use Purple."  I love making Halloween cards and purple is my favorite color so I was in heaven with either option on this theme!  Our fun sponsor is Paper Nest Dolls and they generously provided the team with images to use for our inspiration cards.  I chose to use "Wizard Avery" and used standard Halloween colors of purple, green and black.

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then added a bit of glitter to the light of her magic wand (difficult to see but if you enlarge the photo it might show) and Liquid Pearls (gold) to the teeny stars surrounding it.  The image was cut with an Unbranded die, then the sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I used two different ribbons from my stash, (wide satin and shimmery 1/2") layered one on top of the other.  Everything went onto a black card front which helps the image to pop off the card front.  

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Crafty Creations

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Ike's World

Incy Wincy

Lemon Shortbread

Outlawz Festive Fri

TTCRD

     I certainly hope we're going to see you playing along this month.  For those of you who don't do Halloween cards, just grab your purple markers, pencils, or  paper and ribbon, and show us what you  create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Brewing Tricks or Treats?

Before I start this post, take a moment --

 REMEMBER 9-11 

THANK A FIRST RESPONDER

      I now have so many kids, grandkids, and great-grands that I need a lot of Halloween cards and most of them get mailed to family who are out of state so flat or CAS cards are a priority.  Too cute to spook cards are also important since most of the great-grands are young enough to like cute better than spooky.  But the grownups all get wickedly spooky cards!  lol

     This card, with an image from the Stampers Delights progressive challenge, goes to one of the great-grands but I haven't decided just yet who gets it.  I colored with ProMarkers and added glitter to the bubbles.  The die cut 'frame' is actually the left over, outside piece from a cut done for another project (Spellbinders.)  I laid it on top of the image piece and trimmed it to size.  

     I matted it with  orange CS and used scraps of flocked paper from Doodlebug to make the background.  I carefully pieced together strips of that flocked paper so that the seams would barely show.  I added a narrow strip of purple flocked paper (also from the scrap basket) to the bottom of the image piece and then used two stitched, fabric pumpkins to give a bit of texture.

     Challenges:

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Di's Digi Designs

Dream Valley

Outlawz Greetings

Pixie's Snippets

Taylormadecards...

TTCRD

Two Old Bats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Feeding the Bat

      With all the stereotypes about wicked Halloween witches, it turns out there are a few gentle ones who care for their pets just like you and I do.  Of course, my pets tend to be cats, not bats, but who am I to judge?  :-D  

      I can't tell you anything about this stamp because it was stamped and sent to me by a friend who has been mailing me stamped or printed images out of concern that I'll lose crafting interest after the total crash of my thumb drive which contained all my digital images.  The recovery of those digis, thus far, has been slow and occasional but I do have about 100 (out of some 9,000!) which have been returned to me.  I'm hoping for more but we'll have to wait and see.

Colored w water colors & ProMarkers

Cut w QuicKutz dies

Black and orange mats - scraps & QuicKutz die

Sentiment printed on scrap & cut w Avery Elle die

Dry embossed CS scraps (Darice EF)

Shimmer ribbon by Really Reasonable Ribbon

Satin ribbon for bow - scrap from stash

Pearl added to bow

     Challenges:

Artsy Stamper

Aud Sentiments

Colour Crazy

Crafty Gals Corner

Cute Card Thurs

Cutie Pie

Double Trouble

Incy Wincy

Paper Funday

Paper Girls

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Two Old Bats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bewitched !

     Another Halloween card today and it's for our challenge at Crafting with an Attitude where we have our usual "Anything Goes" theme.  Our fabulous sponsor is Digi Doodle Studios and you know how much I love their images!  This one is called "Witchy Shoes" and I colored it Halloween colors.

Colored with ProMarkers
Die cut with QuicKutz
Glitter paper by Recollections
Hand tied bow with sequin
Sentiment cut with QuicKutz
Inked edges on sentiment
Black card base

     Challenges:
Crafty Creations
Creative Inspirations
Digi Choosday
I {heart} ProMarkers
Paper Funday
Passion for ProMarkers
Scrappy Land
TTCRD
Work It Weds.

     Come play with us this month!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

All Hallows Eve

     Welcome to my second post today and to my DT card for the new monthly challenge beginning at SheepSki Designs.  Our theme this month is "Autumn Colors" and I used those to make a Halloween card, using the "Duplicity" image.  This wasn't necessarily intended as a Halloween image but I thought I'd try it and see how it turned out.  I'm pleased with the result.

Colored with ProMarkers
Fussy cut with scissors
Sparkly ribbon
Black card base
White gel ink on sentiment

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Butterfly (Mandarin, Magnolia, Markers)
Colour Crazy
Crafty Friends
Dream Valley
Outlawz Greetings
Pattie's Creations
Polkadoodles
Stamping Sensations

     Dig out all your lovely autumn colors and come play with us this month.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

October Challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies

     Good morning (or evening, or afternoon, depending on when you came by for a visit.)  It's October 1st and that means we're starting a new monthly challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies.

     Before I show you my DT creation for this month, I want to share with you some information which may inspire you or which you might want to pass on to someone else you know.

2 CCC IS LOOKING FOR NEW DT MEMBERS!

     2 Crafty Critter Crazies is looking for a couple of new DT members and we have some rather different criteria than most challenge blogs.  We're looking for people who are relatively NEW to either blogging or Design Team work or both!   That doesn't necessarily mean you just started yesterday but if you'd like to serve on a team for perhaps the first time and feel like you might need some assistance along the way, we're the team for you.  It's only a 3 month position so no long term commitment which you might find just isn't for you after all.

      If you are willing to use Sponsor digital images, willing to make one project per month, willing to pre-schedule it to go live on your blog at the same time as the main challenge on the 1st of each month, and willing to leave comments on an assigned rotation of entries, then we'd love to hear from you.  Please email us at 2craftycrittercrazies@gmail.com and let us know little bit about you, give us the name of your blog and a link to it, if you are familiar with how to do that.  If not, don't worry, that's something we can explain to you.

     OK, now my card using a retired image and sentiment from Beccy's Place.  I'm apologizing ahead of time because I know you're going to fall in love with this image and ask me where to get it but it's no longer available.  I am sorry.

I used colors from Color My Heart Color Dare.

Colored with ProMarkers and white gel ink on the eyes and legs
Cut with a square die from Spellbinders
Both ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Bats are die cut with Impression Obsession dies

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Crafty Catz
Creative Fingers
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs.
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
TTCRD

     I hope you're going to come and play with us this moth.  Remember, all you need is a project which features a creature of some kind.  Beyond that one requirement, it's anything goes.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie
     

Not-Very-Spooky Mummy

     I seem to be doing a lots of cards with Digi Doodle Studios stamps on them recently but I really have discovered several in  the store which I loved the instant I saw them.  Of course, they jumped right into my cart without even asking if it was OK so I had to use them.  :-D

     The image on this Halloween card is the freebie they gave for Kit and Clowder this month.  Isn't he adorable?

I based this on the sketch at The Outlawz.

Colored with ProMarkers (Fav Halloween colors)
QuicKutz circle die
Distressed papers from Making Memories
Signature bows w pearls
Sentiment from QKR Stampede

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Gals Corner
Cutie Pie
Dare 2B Artsy
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Shelter
Scrappy Land

     Enjoy the rest of your week and thanks for visiting.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Halloween Sewing

     Gosh, I got so busy yesterday that I never got a post written!  Sorry, but today's post should make up for it. 

     Most of us who love Halloween (and who are crafters) get into making cards with witches or ghosts, or goblins, or Frankenstein, or other creepy things that go bump in the night, to send to friends and loved ones.  But I remember the days when my kids (and then the grandkids) were wanting Halloween costumes.  I loved making them and I've probably sewn 2 dozen or more over the years, and that doesn't count the home-made-but-not-sewn costumes. 

     I decided to do a card which celebrates that kind of creativity and salutes all those moms and grandmoms who slave away at the sewing machine making all those good things the kids love to wear.  :-D

     The Penny Black image is colored with ProMarkers, cut, and then framed with a decorative cut from a Spellbinders die.  I grabbed a scrap piece of orange CS to make that frame.  I layered those together and matted them with an embossed and glittery scrap of CS. 

     I was trying to stick with Halloween colors and use up some of the scraps still on my crafting table from all the Halloween cards I did this year.  The orange ribbon with the stars was a scrap left in my ribbon basket and it seemed a good place to use it.  I added one of my signature bows, 'dyed' lavender with a ProMarker.

     I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and added it to the bottom of the black card front.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Di's Digi Designs
Hiding in My Craft Room
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz SAR
Paper Girls
Penny Black and More
Penny Black Saturday
Pile It On
Pixie's Snippets

     Have a great day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Forest Witch

     It seems that even the woodland animals celebrate Halloween!   Over the weekend, I shared a card showing how the fairies disguise themselves as toadstools to avoid the witches and goblins on Halloween but today I'm sharing another delightful image from Ching-Chou Kuik showing a gentle witch of  the woodlands.  I guess not all of them are scary or dangerous.  At least, the squirrels aren't afraid.  :-D

I used colors from Outlawz Colors.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers and did the sky and ground with water colors.  I cut the image with an Unbranded oval die.  The purple piece is a CS scrap, cut into a rectangle with a simple die from Spellbinders, then framed with a Bo Bunny die cut piece, also a scrap.  Everything was layered onto a scrap of orange CS, including the sentiment, and that layered piece was put onto a kraft card base. 

     I added mesh for texture, then found a scrap of purple ribbon which I wrapped around the card front.  I tied the purple, gingham check, ribbon into a bow and added it on top of the sheer ribbon.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack
Pile It On
{Pin}spirational
Pixie's Snippets
Stamping Sensations
Unicorn

     How can we be halfway through October already?   My daughter's birthday is just around the corner and I haven't even thought about doing a card for her.  OMGosh, I'd better get going on that one!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sasayaki Witch

     I'm finally getting my card made for the Progressive Challenge at Sasayaki Glitter.  The image is one of the most adorable witches this season.  :-D

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a Bo Bunny die.    I matted the image with a wonky stitched die from CUTplorations.   I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and matted it with a scrap of purple CS.

     The jack-o-lantern doily is die cut from glittered paper and the Happy Bat die cut was sent to me by my friend, Christi, who loves Halloween almost as much as I do.  :-D  Thanks so much, Christi!

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Angie's Digital Stamps
Crafty Friends
Cute N Crafty
Cutie Pie
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Greetings
Path of Positivity
Whoopsi Daisy

     I'll have a second post today in the early afternoon (my time) featuring my DT card for the World Wide Open DT Challenge.  Be sure to stop by and see what's happening with our newest challenge.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie