Tic Tac Toe at Catch the Bug Critter Chaos

     Now we have a Tic Tac Toe board for the theme at Catch the Bug's Critter Chaos challenges.  Here's the board and I used the diagonal from bottom left to top right - Tree/Free/Ribbon.  The image is from Bugaboo Stamps, of course and I used the sketch from Outlawz, but I flipped it side to side.

  

My card:

Colored with ProMarkers
Stickles added to hat 'fur' & star on tree
Gold and silver paint pens used on ornaments
Sizzix and QuicKutz dies
Hand tied, polka dot bow
Gold sparkly ribbon

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Inspirations
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Mod Squad
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.
Words to Craft By

     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

Witches' Stew

     My mother loved split pea soup - me, not so much.  She'd have a batch of it simmering on the stove as soon as the weather turned cold and, most often, that meant sometime in October.  With Halloween looming on the near horizon, she'd try to 'sell' the dish to me by calling it "The Witches' Stew."  Each year, she'd say it was a secret recipe which she'd procured with great difficulty from a dying witch and that it was guaranteed to cure all winter ills.  lol

     I'm celebrating that memory by using this fun image and sentiment from Jan's Digi Stamps.  Remember a couple of days ago when I was telling you how excited I was to have found Jan's new store after the closure of Sparkle N Sprinkle?  If you didn't see that post, check it out HERE. 

     Below is Gertie, the Witch with her bowl full of Witches' Stew.  (Image is actually named Witches' Brew.)  While I'm at it, let me share some fabulous news with you.  On Monday, November 4, 2019, Jan's Digi Stamps is going to be starting a new challenge blog!  Challenges will be posted on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month and they will have an Anything Goes theme.  You can  read all the Guidelines if you visit the blog.  Mark your calendars and be sure to become a follower so that you don't miss out on playing in them.

     OK, here's today's card:

I took a couple of liberties but was inspired by

the sketch at The Outlawz.

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and frame cut with Tonic Studios dies
Card front embossed with "Linen" EF
Scrap of ribbon
Signature bow with pearls
All the CS used were scraps, including the piece used for the image and the sentiment

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
I {heart} ProMarkers
Paper Funday
Passion for ProMarkers
Pixie's Snippets
Scrappy Land
SUYP Cats

     That's it for today.  Please go check out the new challenge blog at Jan's Digi Stamps and mark your calendar for November 4th when our first challenge will go live.  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

Ladybugs and Sunflowers

     I found this wonderful image of ladybugs and sunflowers in my collection of Ching-Chou Kuik digis and decided I wanted to see what I could do using autumn colors on it.  I really like the end result and will probably use it as a birthday card.  I did my best to find the image in the store so that I could make a link for you but I just couldn't find it.  I'm sorry.

I based this on the sketch at The Outlawz.

Colored with ProMarkers and water colors
Image is fussy cut
Orange frame is cut with QuicKutz die
Olive green CS is embossed with "Linen" folder
Card base is pre-embossed
Sheer ribbon and layered sequins

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Aud Sentiments
Cardz TV
Ching-Chou Kuik FB
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Friends
Cute Card Thurs.
Paperbabe Stamps
Pattie's Creations

     That's all I have for today.  I'm suffering from a bout of strep throat and am taking proper medications but mostly I sleep.  I guess my whole body needs the rest.  Hope to be back to normal in a day or two.  Wishing you Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Latte Gratitude

    It's time for another Progressive Challenge at The Outlawz and this month the freebie image has been provided by Imagine That !  It's a perfect image for a fall celebration and I'm going to use it for a Thanksgiving card.

I based this on the Outlawz sketch

turned sideways but still used as a vertical

due to the shape of the image.

Colored with ProMarkers and gel inks
Spellbinders die for the over-laid frame
Polka dot grosgrain ribbon
Satin ribbon for the bow
ProMarker used to 'dye' the bow

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Color Crazy
Crafty Catz
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Fingers
Double Trouble
Get Creative

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pizza for Your Birthday

     This image for the Scrapper's Delights July progressive challenge came at exactly the right time.  A friend of mine was telling me that during her growing up years, birthday parties for each of the kids (there were 9 of them!) just weren't in the plan but the birthday child was allowed to choose what the family would have for dinner on the night of his/her birthday.  Pizza was an incredible treat and not regularly on the family menu due to the cost.  She loved pizza and that was her annual request for several years in a row.

     When she went away for college, she practically lived on pizza.  It was still expensive on a student's budget but since she was one of the few students who lived in a house instead of the dorms, she would offer to host parties as long as her friends brought the pizza.  Genius!

     In light of that story, this is her birthday card.  And, yes, I'm ordering a pizza for her.  :-D

     Note:  This is the first time I've colored black hair which was good enough that I was willing to share the result.  It's a long learning process and I'm getting there slowly.  I know it can stand improvement but give me credit for even using the image instead of just trashing it and starting over on the coloring. 

I used the sketch from The Outlawz

and colors from My Favorite Things.

  

Coloring with ProMarkers
QuicKutz dies
DCWV dp
Ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Hand tied bow
Die cut butterfly (Cheery Lynn)

     Challenges:
Butterfly  (iceberg blue, digi, inks)
Cardz TV
Creative Inspirations
Cutie Pie
Get Creative
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pattie's Creations

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Meant to Be

     A really quick post this morning with only short prattling about how the card was made.  When I saw this sentiment/image at Bugaboo Stamps, I grabbed it right away but this is the first chance I've had to use it.  It's a sentiment I truly believe.  :-D

I based this on the sketch at The Outlawz.

     I used ProMarkers to color the flowers, then cut the image piece with a rectangle die from QuicKutz, inking the edges before adding it to the striped background dp (Echo Park.)  I used a scrap of mulberry paper which has been on the desk for at least a month and grabbed the gingham ribbons, one to wrap and one to make into a bow.  I thought the 3 pearls on each side of the image piece would set that off a bit.

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug (third column)
Crafting by Designs
Creative Knockouts (Pearls/Image/Ribbon)
Double D
Scrappy Land
Words 2 Craft By

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Dance of the Snow People

     I'm finally getting my card for the November Outlawz Progressive Challenge posted.  The freebie this month is from Drawn by Krista and it is actually 2 separate images but called Snowman Couple.  I merged them together so they look like they're dancing in the snow.  This is another card made primarily from scraps which were already on the craft table.

I started with the sketch from the Outlawz.

     I colored with a combination of ProMarkers, Copics, and gel inks for highlights, then cut them with a stitched, scalloped die from Memory Makers.  I matted them with a hexagon (QuicKutz die) cut from a dp scrap and I inked the edges with teal ink. 

     The cityscape paper is another scrap, this one from Doodlebug, and the turquoise strip was a scrap from my Christmas stash, probably DCWV.  The narrow, sparkly ribbon was in my basket of ribbon scraps.  The final touch was to tie a bow-tie bow from long scrap of lace and die it with an alcohol marker.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Friends
Di's Digi Designs
Hiding in My Craft Room
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Pixie's Snippets

     I'll have a second post again today for the next in the 30 Days of Holiday cards at Beccy's Place.  Check back later today to see it.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fancy Sunbonnet's Thanksgiving

     One more quick post for you today because the rest of the week I have a ton of posts lined up, including 4 tomorrow for the first of the month! 

     For this one, I used a cute image from Bugaboo Stamps; one of their sweet Fancy Sunbonnet images, and this one is perfect for Thanksgiving.

I started with the sketch from the Outlawz

and color inspiration from Catch the Bug.

  

     I  love using autumn colors because they reflect my favorite season, mirroring the leaves drifting off the trees and the clear skies of a crisp fall day.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image and a die from QuicKutz to cut it.  The sentiment was also cut with an oval die from QuicKutz.  I embossed the golden CS with my Linen folder.  The bits of dp above and below the sentiment were scraps left on my table from some other project.

     The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the bow is one of my hand-sewn bows, made by the dozens and put into my stash for future use.  I added the pearl when I was making the bow.

      Challenges:
Art Impressions
As You Like It
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Friends
Cutie Pie
Hiding in My Craft Room
Time Out

     That's it for today and I hope you'll visit all my posts tomorrow.  Feel free to take your time.  No need to rush though all of them in the morning.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Witch Way?

     I absolutely adore this little witch from Fabrika Fantasy!   I have all my Halloween cards done  and ready to mail but there are so many Halloween themed challenges that pop up in October, I can't resist making more cards.  I guess I'll have plenty made for next year.  Or maybe I'll just donate them to the local hospitals for the kids.

I decided to base my design on the sketch 

at The Outlawz this week.

     I colored with ProMarkers and cut the image with a Lawn Fawn stitched die.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Unbranded die.  I cut the dove tail part by hand.  The papers are from Graphic 45 and the two witch's hats were die cut from foam and glittered.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
Double D
Lawn Fanatics
That's Crafty

     That's all I have for today but I'll be back tomorrow with a DT post for the latest challenge at Crafting with an Attitude.  I hope you'll come by to check it out.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Teddy's Wagon

     I've been digging through my collection of Di's Digi Designs again and found this image - perfect for a Thanksgiving celebration.

I used a sketch from The Outlawz, turned on its side

and colors (again) from Time Out.

  

     I colored with ProMarkers, using muted autumn shades.  I trimmed the image to size and layered it onto a scrap piece of digital dp left over from another project.  I cut the orange frame with a Memory Box die and put that on top of the image and dp.

     I found that ribbon in my autumn stash and added the two strips of it, top and bottom.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and inked the edges before adding it.  I did small pearls in each corner, then added the two leaves and the pumpkin on Pop Dots for some dimension and texture.

     I think this will be a perfect Thanksgiving card for one of the boys in my family.  :-D

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
Cute N Crafty
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Send a Smile 4 Kids
Stamping Sensations (bear, bounty)

     Enjoy the last part of our weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Welcome Home

     Neighbors on my street have been traveling the whole summer and got home just in time for the Labor Day holiday so they shuffled the things in their bags and took a weekend at the beach.  lol  I thought if I did a card welcoming them home, maybe they'd stay more than one day.

     My card features this sweet little girl collecting her travel bags and it's from Whoopsi Daisy.

I was inspired by the sketch at The Outlawz.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a stitched, scalloped die from Memory Box.  I cut the mat for the image with a larger die from that same set.  

     The butterfly dp was a large scrap I had in the basket and, with glitter and embossing, I thought it was the perfect way to enhance this card so I cut shapes dictated by the sketch and added them appropriately.  The sentiment was printed and added above the image and my final touch was the sheer bow with a tiny button.

     Challenges:

Butterfly (all 7 elements)

Crafty Gals Corner

Cute N Crafty

Dream Valley

Give a Crafter a Cookie

Lemon Shortbread

Paper Shelter

TTCRD

     Have a wonderful week and stop by again tomorrow for the next post.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Too Cute to Spook

     OK, this weekend I've gotten inspired to make a few Halloween cards and I started with this darling little witch from Conie Fong.  Who could resist that cute face and that sweet little kitten cuddled in her arm?

I took inspiration from the sketch at The Outlawz

turning it a quarter turn and I also took a bit of a liberty with it.

     She's colored with ProMarkers, then fussy cut.  I used a set of framing dies from Spellbinders to cut the black piece behind the image.  I cut those from different pieces of scrap CS and inlaid them to make the one, large framing piece.

     The 'moon' is cut with a plain circle die from QuicKutz and the bats are cut with a Cottage Cutz die.  Those were also cut from scrap bits rescued from the trash can.

     I printed and hand cut the sentiment.  The three tiny dots are negative pieces which fell out of the Spellbinders die cut and I just used them like gem embellies.

     Challenges:
Crafter's Castle
Crafting by Designs
Double D
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pixie's Snippet's
Scrappy Land
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     I'll have another post later this afternoon - not Halloween, but Christmas instead.  I'm still hoping our 103F weather will change and get cooler.  Throughout the summer this year, 5 out of every 6 days have been 100 degrees or higher, and even those which have been below 100, have been 98 or 99.  That started the last week of May and I'm really tired of it!  I'm trying to entice fall by doing cold weather cards.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Summer Tea Time

     If you ask my dear SIL, he'd tell you that Summer Tea Time was actually Summer "Tee" Time on the golf course!   But when I think of  Tea Time in the summer, I remember delightful afternoon teas in the garden when I was an exchange student at Cambridge University in England.   I have delightful memories of that whole experience, despite the long hours of classes and studies.

I was inspired by the sketch at The Outlawz

adjusted for a square card.

     The images (by Sandi Huggett) were printed individually, then colored with ProMarkers.  I fussy cut the teacup, and used a scalloped circle die from Spellbinders to cut the teapot.  The background dp was a leftover of scrapbooking paper and I love the print.  It has such a delightful vintage feel to it which seemed to work well with the 'Old World' tea set.

     I found another scrap in the bin, this one glittered CS just the perfect size for a tag shape.  I adhered it behind the images, and added a large, white, grosgrain bow.  I added a metallic brad to each of the other three corners and called it finished.  :-D 

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time to Craft

Carlin's Card Paradise

Country View Crafts

Dies R Us

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Mod Squad

Outlawz SAR

Pile It On

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Dressed for the Ball

     The current challenge at AuroraWings has a theme of "Joyous Occasions" and what could be more joyous for a debutante than her first ball of the summer season?  It's Cinderella time.  :-D

I started with the sketch from The Outlawz.

     I colored with ProMarkers and added glitter to her wings.  I cut the image with a rectangle die from Spellbinders and framed her with deep violet CS which was cut with a stitched die from CUT-plorations.  The corner dp was  in my scrap basket and was embossed with my "Linen" folder before adding it to the purple CS background.  The doily was also a scrap, a leftover from cutting one in two for another project.

     I printed and hand cut the sentiment and then left the card design alone.  The bright and bold pattern in the corner dp and the delicate, lacy border of the doily enticed the eye enough and I still wanted that gorgeous image to be the main focus.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Brown Sugar
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Addicts
Cute Card Thurs
Cut It Up
Pattie's Creations
Sasayaki Glitter

     Happy Weekend (or what may be left of it) and Happy Crafting!  NanaConnie

Catch Your Own Dinner!

     Happy Memorial Day and thanks to all our veterans!

      I dearly love Bugaboo Stamps and they had such a fun inspiration photo for their latest challenge on Catch the Bug - it brought back wonderful childhood memories of camping out and of fishing with my dad.  My mom was definitely NOT into camping but she agreed to try it if Dad would build a trailer complete with beds and kitchen.  She wasn't going anywhere without a stove for cooking.  To her, campfires were only for enjoyment and the occasional toasted marshmallow.  :-D

     But I loved time spent fishing with my dad and a majority of our camping trips included creeks, rivers, and ponds where fishing was abundant.  That meant lots of meals of trout, bass, and perch.  I wasn't crazy about eating fish but it wasn't like you could camp in the middle of nowhere and catch peanut and butter sandwiches!

   

I started with the sketch from The Outlawz.  I turned it

sideways to better fit the shape of my image.

      I colored the image with ProMarkers, then used a QuicKutz die to cut it.  The sentiment is also cut with a QuicKutz die.  The kraft side piece is cut with a stitched, border die from Spellbinders.  I dug through my stash until I found the kraft-colored jute cord, then tied it around the card front, knotting it into a small bow.  

     That seemed enough since this is not only a CAS card but a masculine one.  Wouldn't this make a great Father's Day card for a man who loves to either camp or fish?

     Challenges:

Brown Sugar

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Moments

House that Stamps Built

Scrappy Land

That's Crafty

Word Art Weds.

     Enjoy the last of the long weekend, all my fellow US Americans, and remember to thank a veteran and say prayers for our active military.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Bear

     What a great morning this is!  I've added one more card to my stash of birthday cards, this one for a 1-year-old.   The image is from Beccy's Place (I love his frosting mustache and beard!) where the challenge has a fun optional theme of flipping a coin.  There are 4 categories and 2 choices in each category.  You flip a coin and choose the design item under either the "heads' or the "tails" column, depending on which comes up when you flip the coin.  I ended up with "Use a Sketch" - "Color with Markers" - "Ribbon" - and "No Sentiment."

The sketch is from Outlawz.

     I used ProMarkers to color, then printed, and cut a snippet of plaid dp which is also from Beccy's Place.  I cut the image with another, smaller, die from that same Cottage Cuts die set.

     The ribbons were scrap pieces from my stash and the lace flourish in the corner came from Recollections.  I can't even begin to tell you how long I've had that piece!  I added three tiny metal brads to the lower corner.

     Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Catz
DL.ART
Outlawz Festive Friday
Outlawz Twisted Thurs
Polkadoodles
Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Prince Charming must be Lost

     When the Outlawz sketch came out last Wednesday, I knew right away I wanted to use it on one of my projects.  I just had to decide what and how.  Then, as I was scrolling through my TLC collection, I found this delightfully funny sentiment and knew exactly how I wanted to put together a card.  And you thought Prince Charming was a myth!  lol

Here's the sketch from Outlawz.

     I started with the paper scraps which were on my crafting table, cutting and trimming them to the sizes I wanted, keeping the sketch in mind.  While I took a couple of liberties, I stayed pretty close to the original this time.  I inked the edges of each piece with a purple ProMarker, setting them off from the lavender and red violet colors.

     I printed out the sentiment image and cut it with a Gina Marie die, then inked the edges of that piece.  I began layering everything together and decided to put them onto an embossed piece of white CS.  I had used my "Linen" embossing folder on several pieces of CS and one of them was still on the desk so I used it.

     I dug out my Nuvo Crystal Drops and added three tiny dots of it to the bottom corner of the gingham check dp.  That was it - almost CAS with all the open space, except for the patterns in the dp.  Still, it's very flat and will mail easily.
   
     Challenges:
Create with TLC
Creative Moments
Dream Valley
Get Creative
Incy Wincy
Paper Girls
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrappy Land
Unicorn

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Missing You

     This little pixie from Sasayaki Glitter (for their Progressive Challenge on FB) is called "Missing You" and that facial expression seems to say it all.  :-)

     I started with the Weds. sketch from The Outlawz

but didn't use an oval shape for my image.

     I colored with ProMarkers and polychrome pencils, then cut the image with a QuicKutz die.  I added some sparkle get ink to the wings and, IRL, it shines like crazy!  Both of the papers are scraps left over from another project and came from stacks by DCWV.  I layered everything onto a golden yellow CS base to pick up some of the tones in the pixie's hair.

     I found a tail end bit of twine in my stash and it was perfect for wrapping around the card front.  The butterfly is another of those cut from a scrap of stiff, taffeta, fabric.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Colour Crazy
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Catz
Cut It Up
Cuttlebug Mania
Lemon Shortbread
Pixie's Snippets
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie