Dachshund Reindeer

     When I found this image at Mo's Digital Pencil, I had to put it into the shopping basket right away.  I have a blogging buddy (who shall remain nameless until I know she's received the card which I've already mailed - so glad you got it, Lynn!  lol) who will love this since she has a beloved doxie.

     I'm pretty sure it's safe to post it today because even if she hasn't received it, she rarely visits blogs on weekends.  If you happen to know who she is, don't tell!  I really want her to miss this one unless she's gotten her card in the mail.  And if you happen to see her coming down the hallway toward this blog, divert her, take her out to lunch, point her in a different direction, anything to keep her away from this post.  lol  (OK, she received the card so you can all stand down from hallway duty!)

Colored with ProMarkers
Silver paint pen on the jingle bells
Cut with Tonic Studios die
Framed with die from Memory Box
Sparkle gel ink added to snowflakes & the trees
Paper from Doodlebug
Scrap of sparkly purple ribbon
Original sentiment from Mo's, changed by me

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
Colour Crazy
Crafty Friends
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs
Outlawz Festive Fri
Take It, Make It
Time Out

     Merry Christmas, Rambo!

     NanaConnie

Old Time Santa

     If it's Friday (and it is!) then it must be time for another new "Anything Goes" challenge at QKR Stampede.  I'm really into Christmas recently and am getting those last minute cards finished and ready for the mail box. 

     This QKR image is called "Old Time Santa" and the sentiment is from our sister stamp company, Eureka Stamps, "Merry Christmas."

Colored with ProMarkers and Copics
Scalloped die cut - Memory Box
Gray frame die cut w/ Tonic Studios die
Frame is embossed w/ 'Linen' folder
Red dp is a scrap
Holly & berries embellie cut w/ circle hand punch, glued
      & covered w Glossy Accents
Wide red ribbon has gold edges and is a scrap

     Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
A Bit More Time ...
Creatalicous
Christmas Crafts All Year ...
Classic Design Team
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Do Al(l) Creatives
Friendship
Morgan's ArtWorld

     Come play with us this week.  We love being inspired by you.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Hugs for Thanksgiving

     If it's Friday, you know that means a new weekly challenge has started at QKR Stampede.  This is the most recent (and I think the last) of my Thanksgiving cards.  I used a darling image called "Bear Hugs" and I'm using this as a way to give some holiday support to a sweet lady who is facing her first holidays following the loss of her husband.  She's going to be at our house for Thanksgiving and I want her to know that she has family and friends who love her.

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and mat cut with Tonic Studios & Spellbinders dies
Orange CS embossed with "Linen" folder
Textured ribbon
Kraft card base

     Challenges:
Crafty Gals Corner
Cutie Pie
Digi Choosday
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Funday
Paper Girls
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     Come play with us this week.  Our theme is always Anything Goes.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 13, Letter "K" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     We're close to the half way point in the 30 Days of Christmas cards for Beccy's Place and our letter prompt is "K."  I've used Beccy's three separate images of the Kings, put together as though they are one image.  While I make many more cutesy Christmas cards with Santas, elves, cute little animals, etc., I admit that traditional Christmas images are my favorites and that's mostly because they celebrate the true reason for the season (which has nothing to do with shopping ourselves into debt!)  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Tonic Studio die
Metallic gold 'lace' ribbon for a border
DCWV striped dp
CAS design

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Crafty Creations
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Knockouts
I {heart} ProMarkers
Ike's World
Paper Shelter
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Guest Designer at Mo's Digital Pencil

     I was so honored to be asked to Guest Design at Mo's Digital Pencil this month.  The DT ladies over there are all so talented and they all color so magnificently, I consider myself to be in High Company!

     I adore all the images at Mo's Digital Pencil but this one, called "Mummu's Kissa," is among my absolute favorites.  I love all the Mummu images but toss in a cat and I'm over the moon!   In this one, you can tell that Kissa simply adores his human and can't wait for her to feed him.  I think she feels the same way.  I'm not sure which of them is more grateful for the other.  :-D 

     Btw, the floor is not in the original image.  I added that myself.

ProMarkers for the coloring
Cut with Tonic Studios die
Metallic butterfly dp from a prize pack (Butterfly challenge)
Signature bow w pearl

     Challenges:
Butterfly (Old Gold, Embellie)
Cut It Up
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pattie's Creations
Simon Says Stamp
Work It Weds

     This is the last of the 5 posts I had today.  It was just one of those unusual times when my regular Friday post combined with the 1st of the month and the 1st Friday of the month.  :-D   Mo's challenges usually start on Saturdays and this one will run until December 4.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Little Christmas Magic

     It's the first Friday in November and there's a new monthly challenge starting at Brown Sugar  We are being sponsored by DRS Designs this month and they supplied us with some of the cutest images.  Be sure to visit the main Brown Sugar blog to see what all the designers have done.

     I combined "Feeding Reindeer" and "North Pole Sign" to make my card.  One of my grandsons will know instantly that this card is for him because he's the one who always put out "magic grain" for the reindeer to eat during their travels.  He worried that they might run out of magic if they got hungry on Christmas Eve.  :-D

ProMarkers for coloring
Reindeer image cut with Tonic Studios die
North pole fussy cut with scissors
Sparkle gel ink on snow
White gel ink on sign
Dark green satin ribbon
Signature bow 'dyed' with ProMarker
Pearl on the bow

     Challenges:
Christmas w/ the Cuties
Crafty Hazelnut's
I {heart} ProMarkers (ribbon, bow, pearl)
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Love to Scrap
Mod Squad
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp

     Come play with us, won't you?  It's an Anything Goes theme and you can make whatever you like.  We look forward to being inspired by you.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Warm Hat Girl

     This sweet image is from All Dressed Up and it's a wonderful image for staying warm on a cold, winter-y day.  I love the play in the sentiment (which is part of the image) on the old saying "Cold hands, warm heart."  This time, both are warm.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers

Image and frame cut with  Tonic Studio dies

Glitter paper from Recollections

Everything die cut came from scraps

Doodlebug dp - also scraps (My favorite designer papers always have small prints so that they enhance the image instead of overwhelming it.  If they are somewhat monochromatic, that's even better.)

White CS embossed with Linen EF

Signature bow with snowflake gems

    Challenges:

As You Like It

Crafty Sentiments

Cute Card Thurs.

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Pixie's Snippets

Scrappy Land

TTCRD

Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cutest Purple Witch, Ever!

     When I was growing up, when we talked about "Halloween colors" we meant black and orange - only black and orange. Somewhere along the way, Ooze Green got added and then Purple.  Once Purple became a Halloween color, I was ecstatic!  It's my favorite color whatever time of the year, and getting to use it for Halloween was the greatest bonus ever.

     This little witch is following good advice when she digs out and dons her purple dress and purple hat.  :-D  The image is the freebie for the Progressive Challenge at LeAnn's World 101.

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and sentiment cut with Tonic Studios dies
Background embossing w/ Darice EF
Sparkle ribbon
Signature bow w/ pearl

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
Colour Crazy
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Catz
Creative Fingers
Creative Knockouts
Dragonfly Dreams
LeAnne's World 101
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Scrapper's Delights

     That's it for today but more Halloween fun tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bountiful Blessings

     One more really quick post because I want to get this entered at Double D in their Orange and White challenge before it closes.  The acorn and leaves image is by Anne Fenton and the sentiment is from Eureka Stamps.

Colored with ProMarkers
Sentiment cut with Tonic Studios die
Edges inked with ProMarker
Sheer ribbon with pumpkins

     Challenges:
Cute N Crafty
Cuttlebug Mania
Digi Choosday
Dream Valley
Outlawz Greetings
Papercraft
Stamping Sensations
TTCRD

     Have a great week and 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

Partied Too Much

     My granddaughter's roommate has a birthday coming up and I made this card for her.  These are her fur babies, Eva (the pug) and Luna (the cat.)  Luna is now fully grown but this is such a memorable photo of the two of them shortly after Luna came to live there that I just had to use it.

     This one is a CAS design and I do a lot of CAS, mainly because I mail so many of my cards and flatter is better with the price of postage these days.  :-D

Tonic Studio dies
Stitched ribbon and black satin ribbon both from Crafty Ribbons
Kraft CS and burgundy CS

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Creations
Cute N Crafty
Dragonfly Dreams
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
My Favorite Things Colors

SUYP Cats
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Little Bear's Gift

     I just adore the freebie image from Limited Runs for this month's Progressive Challenge.   It's an adorable little bear with  his arms open.  I thought he looked like he should be holding something and my thought was maybe a big bouquet of mums all done in lovely fall colors.  But every fall bouquet I tried just covered up his face and arm so I downsized my idea to a couple of roses wrapped in paper and it worked perfectly!

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and both frames cut with Tonic Studio dies (from scraps)
Roses - fussy cut
Ribbons - scraps from the bin
Sentiment printed and fussy cut - matted with scrap CS
Signature bow with pearl

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Crafty Calendar
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Paperbabe Stamps
Pixie's Snippets
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Unicorn Dreams

     New challenge today at the SheepSki Designs blog and our theme is "Dies and/or Punches."  I used this fantastic "Unicorn" image drawn by Andrea and I'm so crazy about it, I know I'm going to use it again and again.  This time, it's being used as a birthday card.

Colored with ProMarkers
Glitter added to unicorn horn
Tonic Studios dies
Double loop, double layer, bow (ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon)
Sheer, plaid, ribbon strip (also from Really Reasonable Ribbon)
Metallic CS base
Sentiment printed and die cut with Tonic Studios die
Inked edges - ProMarker

     Challenges:
2 Sisters on the  Blog
a2z Scrapbooking
A Bit More Time to Craft
Bastel-Traum
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafter's Cafe
Digi Doodle Studio
Dream Valley
Your Scrapbook Place

      Come play this month.  We love being inspired by you and your creations.  NanaConnie

Critters for a Baby

     It's August 1 and we are starting a new monthly challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies.  As always, our theme is "Anything Goes Featuring a Critter."  This month, we're sponsored by SheepSki Designs.  Since I'm on that DT also, I'm letting this card do double duty for the new challenge over there which starts today, too.

     The fun part is that the theme at SheepSki is also "Critters" so any card you might make for 2CCC can also be entered in the SheepSki Designs challenge.  Here's my card using these adorable giraffes (Mini Me #174) for a new baby card.

I used colors from the challenge at The Outlawz.

Colored with ProMarkers
Die cut with Tonic Studios and QuicKutz dies
Paper from DCWV "Nanna's Nursery" stack
Twine and Jute cord

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Colour Crazy
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Di's Digi Designs
Scrappy Land
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

April Showers

     Where I live we had nearly twice as much rain in March as is normal but now into April, we've had no rain at all.  Having had severe drought over the last 5 or 6 years, we really need more rain so I'm hoping for a few more April Showers.  Maybe this card, featuring a darling image from Bugaboo Stamps, will help.

     Of course, I used ProMarkers to color the image (my go-to favorites!) and then I cut it with a Tonic Studios scalloped die.  I added some Dew Drops to a few of the raindrops in the image, enhancing the water aspect.

     I found a denim blue card base and wrapped it with some gingham ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, adding the image piece on top of that.  I did one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, shaping it to look like a butterfly to complement those in the image.  I added a tiny pompom as the butterfly's head.

     Finally, I printed the sentiment and added it to the lower corner.

     Challenge:
Aud Sentiments
Butterfly (Denim Blue/Digi)
CCC Digis
Catch the Bug
Crafter's Castle
Crafty Creations
Die Cut Divas
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
House That Stamps Built (right hand column)
Outlawz SAR

     Enjoy your weekend and 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 

Chick or Duckling?

     I just had to give you a second post today.  I fell in love with this adorable image.

     Remember the age-old question about which came first, the chicken or the egg?  Well, for today, we want to know if what's in the egg is a chick or a duckling?  I'm doing more Easter cards, some of them for a friend who needs 8 cards total, and she and I are having a debate over which this is.  I think it's a little chicken but maybe it's the way I colored the beak that makes it look like it could be a duck.

     The image is from Angie's Digital Stamps.

     I colored with ProMarkers and polychromos pencils, then cut the image with a Tonic Studios die.  The background is a piece of scrap dp as is the plaid strip across the bottom.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment, inking the edges before applying it on top of the plaid strip.

     I found another scrap of yellow, gingham, ribbon and tied the bow using my bow maker.

     Challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers
Crafty Creations
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Cute N Crafty
Get Creative
Happy Craft
House that Stamps Built (middle row)
Work It Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Luck o' the Irish

     I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE House Mouse stamps and when I downsized everything in the big move, I got rid of most of my rubber stamps.  But not the House Mouse!  I kept every one of those, even though there's not enough room without storing them in boxes which have to be tucked neatly away until it's time to dig through all of them to find that one particular stamp wanted for a particular project, like this one!

I started with the colors from My Favorite Things

and the sketch found at C.R.A.F.T. this week.

 

     I used ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it and distressed the edges a tiny bit.  I matted the image with deep green CS which had been cut with a Tonic Studios die. 

     I used Tonic Studios dies to cut each of the pieces of dp (all scraps), although I had to adjust the placement of the dies and cut each piece twice in order to get the shapes I wanted.  I printed and then die cut the sentiment and the CS mat for it, doing the same adjustment process to get the size and shaped I wanted.

     There were so many shapes and patterns in the dp that I felt the card didn't need any additional embellishment.  There was already enough to please the eye and anything more would have just been a distraction.

     Challenges:
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs.
Happy Craft
House Mouse
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Southern Girls

     Wishing you a very green March and all the luck you may need.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Friendly Hello

     I've been on the DT at QKR Stampede for 5 years, give or take, and I can't believe that after doing that many cards for our weekly challenges, I had overlooked this image!  It's called "Sante Fe Mouse."  Another new challenge is starting today (Always Anything Goes) and I'm really tickled with this simple, southwestern flavored, greeting card with it's very simple sentiment.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers and cut him with a die from Tonic Studios.  I mounted him onto a yellow card base which had been embossed with my 'Linen' embossing folder.  The "hello" sentiment was cut from a tiny scrap of dp with a Poppy Stamps die.  I want to use this as a masculine card so I did no additional embellishment.

     Challenges:
Coloring in Scrapland
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Sentiments
Cute Card Thurs.
Digi Choosday
Dream Valley
Ike's World
Lemon Shortbread
Papercraft
TTCRD
   
     It's Friday and I hope you have lots of wonderful plans for your weekend.  Be sure to include some play time for yourself.  Think of it as charging your batteries.  If your battery is dead, you'll have nothing to give to your kids, family, or anyone else, and you know how they all rely on you.  Play time for yourself is critical and actually benefits everyone!   :-D  Happy Crafting.   NanaConnie

Bunnies for Sale

     I'm working on Easter cards because I need quite a few this year, at least a dozen more than last year.  Since Easter is only about 6 weeks away, I'm spending most of my somewhat limited crafting time working on them.

     My card today uses a cute images from Bugaboo Stamps.

My layout was inspired by the sketch at Sketch Saturday.

     I used two different images, colored with ProMarkers, the die cut each one with a die from Tonic Studios.  I trimmed one side of the smaller one and laid it on top of the larger image.  I had two, die cut, scrap, squares of shiny pink lying on the desk and I used them behind the image.  The striped dp was also a scrap.  I printed, hand cut, and inked the edges of the sentiment, then added it.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Di's Digi Designs
Double D
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Papercraft
Pile It On
Stamping Sensations

     More tomorrow.  In the meantime, Happy Crafting!  NanaConnie