Kawaii Kitty

      This sweet girl in her Kawaii Kitty outfit is the image from the progressive challenge at Stamper's Delights this month.  I used ProMarkers and polychromos pencils to color her, then cut her with a Sizzix die.  The sentiment came with the image and I printed it, cut it with a die from QuicKutz, and added it below the image.

     I used a scrap strip of dp and made a hand-tied, triple loop bow with a left over scrap of satin ribbon.  I ended up with a triple loop bow because the scrap was too long for a double loop and I saw no need to waste the extra ribbon so tied a triple loop bow instead.

     Everything was put onto a gray CS base which was complimentary to the gray in the calico cat's 'fur.'

     Challenges:

Crafty Sentiments

Cutie Pie

Digi Choosday

Double Trouble

Ike's World

Incy Wincy

Lemon Shortbread

SUYP Cats

     I know this is a really quick post today but I'm up to my ears in things on my plate.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Shipwrecked

      Our latest challenge is starting at Creative Knockouts, where our theme for this challenge is "Anything Goes" and we're sponsored by Star Stampz.  They were generous and supplied the images used by the DT for our inspiration projects.  I used a sweet stamp called "Shipwrecked" and I'm going to use the card as a subtle message to my son who lives out of state and who hasn't called his momma in a month!  There's a "Get Well" sentiment inside because he must be sick. lol

     I used ProMarkers and pencils to color the image, then cut it with a Sizzix scalloped circle die.  I cut another scalloped circle with a smaller die from that same set for the sentiment.  The card base is made with kraft CS, and I tied a double bow using baker's twine.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Crafty Sentiments

Creative Moments

Digi Choosday

Outlawz Color

Passion for Markers

Scribbles Designs

Star Stampz (layers/bow/sentiment + image)

World Wide ...

     That's all for today.  I've injured my wrist and it's in a brace which makes typing very difficult (one handed and for a 'touch typist' that's painful!)  Hope to see you playing along with us.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fairy & Unicorn

      Here we are at the mid-week point and I have a darling little fairy and unicorn to share with you.  One of my granddaughters adores unicorns and I try to make her at least one unicorn card each year, though it usually turns into three or four.  :-D  This image is from Polkadoodles and I won it in a challenge.

     I'm still following the "challenge-yourself" idea being promoted by my blogging buddy, V.  It's called "Just Stash January" and it involves using nothing but things already in your stash throughout the entire month of January!  There are a few reasonable exceptions (all of which mean that no money has come out of your pocket) and you can read about those on her post.  Just click on the link above to find out all about it, then start counting those coins and bills you'll be 'stashing' in your pocket this month instead of crying about even more charges on the credit cards after the holiday season.  :-D  Everything on this card came not only from the stash but from the scrap stash! 

Colors from The Outlawz + "F" for Fairy

Colored w ProMarkers & gel pens

Cut w Sizzix scalloped die

Papers are all from the scrap basket

Sentiment printed and hand cut

Lace scraps from basket

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

House that Stamps Built

I {heart} ProMarkers

Lemon Shortbread

Paper Funday

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

White Christmas

      I think I've finished my Halloween cards for this year, unless I get a request from someone, and now I can totally concentrate on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My Christmas stash is coming along quite well; I have probably half of what I'll need done and ready.  

     Each year, I make about 25 for family and friends, then another 50 to75 which I donate to a local Senior Center.  I've been doing that for the last 7 years.  The first year, I took maybe a dozen or so Christmas cards which were extras I had made and dropped them off at the center, asking only that they be offered to those seniors who were least able to get out to purchase cards for their grandkids/family.  The following year, I got a phone call from one of the center's volunteers, asking me if I was going to have extras to donate again that year.  The cards were popular enough that the seniors were hoping there would be some available.

     I scrambled around, made as many as I could, and promised myself (and the Center) that I'd have cards for the following year.  Each year the number of cards I have for them has grown and last year I managed to donate 70 cards.  Not a single one went unused.  :-D

     This card was made with one new die, one old die, two embossing folders, and it's all scrap bits of this and that.  

White glitter paper cut w Amy Designs die

Red glitter paper cut w Die Versions dies

Navy blue CS embossed w "Linen" EF

Red CS embossed w Sizzix  EF

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Art Impressions

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Catz

Crafty Friends

Crafty Hazenut's

Cute Card Thurs

Pixie's Snippets

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     That's it for today. With any luck, I'll be able to post again tomorrow so be sure to stop by.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Jan's New Year's Eve Set

     New Year's Eve is just under a month away and I've done my first New Year celebration card!  Jan's Digi Stamps has two really beautiful sets and I'm featuring an image from one of them for my DT card for the Third Challenge which starts today.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes."

     I don't do a lot of cards celebrating the New Year but the image options in the two sets (which are new releases) are so versatile they can be used for nearly any celebration.  I chose the hour glass from the New Year's Eve 3231J set because I can also imagine it on a birthday card with a sentiment about "Is time running out?" or something silly like that.  :-D  But this particular card is definitely for the New Year, as you can see from the sentiment which can be found in the Happy New Year 3030J set.

     This card was CAS and so quick to make.  It took me less than 15 minutes because I used the pre-colored image.

Pre-colored image (I wanted you all to see the incredible wood grain that's in the pre-colored image, but not on the black and white outline images.)
Image cut w/ Memory Box die
Frame cut w/ Memory Box stitched die
Frame edges inked w/ ProMarker
Sentiment cut w/ Sizzix die; Stickles added
Glitter paper from Recollections

     Challenges:
2 Sisters on the Blog
AAA Cards
Addicted to Stamps
A Perfect Time to ...
Carlin's Card Paradise
Dare 2B Artsy
Die Cut Divas
Friendship
Lil Patch of ...
Stamping Sensations
Your Scrapbook Place

     Come play with us.  The challenge runs until 3 p.m. (Pacific) on Sunday, December 15.   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Challenge #2 at Jan's Digi Stamps

     Our second challenge has started at Jan's Digi Stamps today and once again we have an "Anything Goes" theme for you.  I'm sharing two cards I've done using pre-colored images from the "Holiday Candy Deluxe 947" set.  I've been doing Christmas cards for the last couple of months but when time runs short or when you need a last minute card for an unexpected guest the in-laws brought along (!), pre-colored images can save the day.  Nearly every set from Jan's has both black and white outline images and pre-colored versions included in the same set.

Cut w/ Sizzix scalloped circle die

Snowflakes cut with Art Impressions dies

Sentiment (from this set) was hand cut

Wide ribbon with glittered edges

Red CS base

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Knockouts

Cute Card Thurs

Penny's Paper Crafty

Time Out

Die-namics dies for image and frame, inlaid dies
Sentiment hand cut
Doodlebug dp
Lavender ribbon w/ hand tied bow

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Crafty Catz
Creative Fingers
Outlawz Festive Fri
Winter Wonderland

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 2 - 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place

     At Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas, our second letter is "B" and I've used a Beautiful Berry wreath image for this card. I added one of my signature Bows and three, tiny, metal Brads at the bottom, and everything is on a Burgundy card base.  My sentiment is all about a "Berry, Merry Christmas."

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with QuicKutz die
Scalloped dp mat cut with Sizzix die
Metal Brads
White Bow
Burgundy card base embossed with Linen EF

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs
I {heart} ProMarkers
Mod Squad
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Southern Girls
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Meowl-loween

     Hey, the 2019 Cat Lovers Hop starts today

 and this is my first project for it!

This is year #5.

Haven't played before and interested in joining?

Click HERE.

     Ready for another silhouette card?  This one was pretty quick and simple, and qualifies as a CAS card, I'm sure.  Have you noticed a fascination for cats in these silhouettes?   Back in the days when I was still buying rubber stamps instead of using digis (a looooong time ago!), I think I bought every single stamp I saw that had a cat in it.  Of course, when it comes to Halloween stamps, cats are easy to find, especially black cats which makes silhouettes a natural.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with a Sizzix die
Stitched black ribbon from Crafty Ribbons
Bow tie bow added to the middle cat
Embossing on card front - Darice EF

     Challenges:
Crafty Catz
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Knockouts
Double D
Dragonfly Dreams
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds
I {heart} ProMarkers
LeighSB Designs
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp
SUYP Cats

     Happy Monday and Happy Crafting!  NanaConnie

Mushroom Fairy for Fall

     This adorable little fairy, sitting in her mushroom garden enjoying the cooler days of fall, is from All Dressed Up. 

     The weather has stayed pretty hot where I live until today when they are predicting 83 instead of 93, and my blogging buddy, Lynn, a Texan from head to toe, says it's stayed awfully warm in her area, too.  So this card celebrates the arrival of fall and if it hasn't cooled off for her yet, maybe the weather is heading from my house to hers.  Hang in there, Lynn!

I chose colors from the middle column of color board #363

at Color My Heart Color Dare, plus I used "Ballerina"

for her face and arms.

Colored with ProMarkers

Cut image & frame with Sizzix dies

Gold CS base

Gold, glittered flower

CAS design

     Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Outlawz SAR

Pattie's Creations

Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Meow-lloween !

     This adorable image is a freebie from the SUYP Cats challenge and is by Ike's Art.  I tried to use as many shades of orange as I could as a salute to the color palette option offered by Ike's World.

My card design is based on one of the 

sketches at Sweet Sketch Weds.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Sizzix die
Background "bats" die cut piece was a gift - die unknown
Paper is a scrap from my basket
Hand tied bows 'dyed' with ProMarker

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Creative Knockouts
Ike's World
Paper Funday
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     Have a great day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Gathering Nuts

     It must be fall; the squirrels are gathering nuts!   I'm delighted, for more than just the cooler temperatures.  Check out my card for this week's new challenge at QKR Stampede and you'll understand why.  If you enlarge the photo, you can more easily read that silly sentiment.  :-D   I used the QKR image "Writing Squirrel" and added "Acorn Accent" to give him an armful of nuts.  In the original image, he's holding a pencil.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Unbranded die, inked edge
Acorns printed twice, hand cut, and added in layers
Background embossed with Sizzix folder
Wrapped burlap-twine bow
Hand cut sentiment, inked edge

     Challenges:
2 Sisters on the Blog
A Bit More Time to Craft
Bastel-Traum
Classic DT
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Creative Moments
Die Cut Divas
Friendship
Paperminutes
Scribbles Designs

     I'll have a second post today and some fun news so be sure to stop by a bit later.  In the meantime, think about creating something to enter into our Anything Goes challenge at QKR.  We love being inspired by the things you enter.  NanaConnie

The Artist

     Hello and welcome to the latest weekly challenge at QKR Stampede.  This week I seem to have been focused on all things artistic so what better idea than to showcase a darling little artist?  This image is called "Artist Bear" and I think he's adorable!

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with circle die from QuicKutz
Border made with pieces from Sizzix quilt die
Hand tied bow, dyed with ProMarker
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Catz
Creative Knockouts
Cute N Crafty
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twist Thurs
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Scrapper's Delights
Your Next Stamp

     Come play with us this week.  Our theme is always Anything Goes and you can use any products you choose from any company.  If you do use an image from QKR (or our sister company, Eureka Stamps), your entry will be in a separate draw just for those images.  That increases your chances of winning by a huge margin!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Maple Sprite Celebrating Autumn

     I think I've fallen in love with every sprite image ever released at AuroraWings and this darling Maple Sprite is no exception!   I thought she was a perfect reason to Celebrate Autumn!  :-D

I used the sketch from Paperbabe Stamps,

turned a quarter turn.

Colored with ProMarkers
Image die cut (QuicKutz) and inked edge
Darice EF on yellow CS
Sizzix EF on card base
Sheer ribbon wrap and double bow
Sentiment hand cut and inked on the edge

     Challenges:
Allsorts
Colour Crazy
Crafty Catz
Crafty Friends
Creative Fingers
Pattie's Creations
Polkadoodles
Take It, Make It

     Happy Crafting and enjoy the last half of the weekend.  NanaConnie

Oktoberfest

     OK, OK, I know it's not October yet but this adorable "Taurus" image from Some Odd Girl, our sponsor this month at Crafting with an Attitude, just seemed to lend herself to an Oktoberfest theme.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Unbranded die
Sentiment printed & cut with Unbranded die - - My favorite way to do sentiments is to print them with various computer fonts and then add them.  It allows me more options without overextending my budget.
Scraps of dp from the basket
Spellbinders border die
Wood grain EF - Sizzix

      Challenges:
Allsorts
Angie's Digital Stamps
As You Like It
Colour Crazy
Double Trouble (paired w The Paper Girls)
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Paper Funday

     Come play with us this month.  We'd love to see what you create and our theme is always "Anything Goes."  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Autumn Butterflies

     Most of us think of spring when we think "butterflies" but I've noticed that there are more of them in my garden in the fall than in the spring.  I don't know what's growing there that time of year that they particularly like, but whatever it is, they prefer it to what's there in the spring.

     This image is from Conie Fong.

Image colored with ProMarkers
Image is hand cut with scissors
Background squares cut with Sizzix dies
Only scraps used for the background

     Challenges:
Butterfly wheel (jade, juicy orange)
Coloring in Scrapland
Crafting by Designs
Cute N Crafty
Dare 2B Artsy
Dragonfly Dreams
Get Creative
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pixie's Snippets

     That's all I have for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Giraffes

     I have a dear friend who moved away last year (I mean really away - like 350 miles away!) and she loves giraffes.  For as many years as we've known each other, I've made her birthday cards with giraffe images on them.  I decided just because she lives in another city now was no reason to change that pattern.  I just had to make her card flat and easy to mail.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a simple rectangle die from QuicKutz.  The card base is kraft CS, and I added an embossed scrap to the background.  I inked the edges of both the image piece and the embossed rectangle.

     The ribbon was in my stash and I used one of my signature, hand-sewn bows which I had 'dyed' with a yellow ProMarker.  Ribbons and bows are definitely my favorite embellies!  I put a tiny drop of Liquid Pearls on the bow to hide the thread I used when wrapping the center of the bow.  I also added three, flat, metal brads to the top corner.

     I put the birthday sentiment on the inside, made with die cut letters and words.  The letters were made with a Memory Box die and the word "birthday" was cut with a Tim Holtz/Sizzix die to which I added loose glitter.

     Challenges:
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Catz
Creative Knockouts
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Paper Funday
Scrappy Land
Word Art Wednesday

     That's all for today.  I doubt I'll even get any coloring or crafting done today.  I really need a day of doing nothing to get the shoulder healed up.  Happy Crafting to all of you.  NanaConnie

Birthday Wishes

     I know you've already seen my DT card for SheepSki Designs if you visited on Wednesday, but this morning I'm sharing a card with a stunning (and fun to color) image from SheepSki called "Peonies" because SheepSki is sponsoring the challenge over at Crafty Friends and I was lucky enough to be a Guest Designer.  :-D  The theme for the Crafty Friends challenge this fortnight is "Use 2 or more dies." 

   

I pulled all my colors from the inspiration board

at Color My Heart Color Dare #341.

     I colored the peonies with ProMarkers, then used a die from Sue Wilson to cut the image.  I trimmed one end of it so that there would be a straight side on the left.  I chose a golden yellow CS for the background and cut the butterflies into it with a Memory Box die.  

     I mounted that onto a kraft card base, then added the image and one of my signature, hand sewn, bows with a tiny pearl.  The bow was 'dyed' with a ProMarker to match the color of the sentiment.  The sentiment was cut with Tim Holtz word dies by Sizzix.

     This is one of those fun cards where I get to combine ribbon (for the bow) and flowers (in the image) and still have a flat card for easy mailing.  If I have to choose between ribbons and flowers as embellies, I'll almost always go with ribbon because the bulk of flower embellies make cards difficult to mail.  When I do use dimensional flowers, I almost always am giving the card personally, not mailing it.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Crafty Catz

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Happy Craft

Outlawz Greetings

Paperbabe Stamps

Passion for ProMarkers

Southern Girls

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Persian Cat Says He's the Birthday Present !

     Here at Crafting with an Attitude we love seeing attitude in any form!  For our latest challenge, which starts today, we're being sponsored by Some Odd Girl and I fell in love with this "Angry Persian" image.  Look at the attitude showing in that expression!

     I used ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a hexagonal die from QuicKutz.  The aqua frame is also cut with another die from that set.  I made a shaped card by cutting the base with another Quickutz die.

     I printed and cut the small sentiment at the bottom of the image, trimming the shape to fit in with the hexagon.  The "happy birthday" sentiment was cut with a Tim Holtz - Sizzix die.  There was already so much going on with the borders of the card, I decided that it needed no embellishment beyond that created by the die cutting.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Colour Crazy
Crafting from the Heart
Cute N Crafty
Double Trouble
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Fri.
SUYP Cats
Time Out

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our challenge this month.  Remember, our themes are always "Anything Goes."  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sweetpeas for Beccy's Place

    One of my favorite stamp artists is Beccy from Beccy's Place.  Her work is available in either rubber or digital stamps.  She runs a monthly challenge and the theme is always "Anything Goes" but each month she offers an optional twist.  You are required to use a Beccy's Place image but she gives a digital freebie every month which can be used if you wish.  I've been buying her images for so long that I have a really huge collection.  :-D

     This month she gave us a Tic Tac Toe twist and I've used the right hand column: Twine/ Flowers/ Embossing.

      I love these sweet peas and this time I started with a pre-colored image.  Before I printed it, I used tools in Word to lighten the image, making the background around the flower a softer and more pale blue.  Then, I used ProMarkers to intensify the sweet pea colors, plus pencils and gel inks to add highlights and shading to the petals and leaves. 

     The "Sweetpeas" sentiment is part of the image set and I printed it, then trimmed it to fit the banner space in the image.

     I fussy cut the image, then layered it onto a piece of white CS which I had cut with a Tonic Studios die.  The deep purple frame was cut with another, larger, Tonic Studios die from the same set.

     I double embossed the card front.  I started with periwinkle CS, embossed the front of it with my 'Linen' folder, then used a Sizzix 'Leaves' folder to emboss right over the 'Linen" embossing.  The spaces between the leaves still shows the 'Linen' embossing.  I layered everything together and added the jute cord twine and bow.

     Challenges:
Brown Sugar
Crafty Creations
Di's Digi Designs
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Southern Girls
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     Thanks for visiting and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Cuddle a Kitty

     Common wisdom says when you're feeling down, you probably need a hug.  At my house, it's a sure sign you need to cuddle a kitty.  :-D

     The April challenge has started over at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies (no April Fool gag!) and our theme (as always) is Anything Goes with a Critter featured.  Our delightful sponsor this month is Digi Doodle Studios.  Although they generously supplied the DT with images to use, I chose one I already had in my collection, called "Kitty."

     I used ProMarkers, chalks, and gel inks to color the image, then cut it with a die from Sizzix.  I printed and cut the sentiment with a die from QuicKutz.  I used a larger Sizzix die to cut the mulberry paper, then dampened the edge and 'feathered' it.

     The satin ribbon was the last piece of it I had in my stash and I wrapped it around the card front.  I used my bow maker to tie the double layer, bow tie bow, using gingham ribbon.

     Challenges:
Die Cuttin' Divas
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
Mod Squad
SUYP Cats
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown

     I hope you're going to come and play with us this month.  Remember, you are not limited to cards for your entries.  You can enter anything which features a 'critter' on it.  We love being inspired by your creations.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie