Day 28, Letter "Y" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas is winding down to the last days and the prompt for today is the letter "Y."  I chose Yuletide and also colored the flowers in the image a very pale Yellow.  I've made another of my gift card folders but this time I made a belly band instead of using ribbon to tie it and the lovely Yuletide Bell is an image from Beccy's Place.

Colored with ProMarkers
Sparkle gel ink added to bell
White gel ink for highlights
Cut with Unbranded, stitched die
Embossed CS for folder
Cut image is attached to the belly band

     Challenges:
Crafty Catz
Crafty Hazelnut's
Creative Inspirations
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp
Time Out
Winter Wonderland
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

"M" for Mistletoe - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     Day 15 at 30 Days of Christmas for Beccy's Place so we're half way through the alphabet and half way through the month.  My "M" items are pretty simple - Mistletoe and Merry Christmas, but I did use Markers for coloring.  Both the image and the sentiment are from Beccy's.

ProMarkers used to color the image
Image and sentiment cut with Unbranded dies
Glittered paper (Marine green) boxes cut with QuicKutz dies
Grosgrain ribbon bow
Merlot red card base

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Creative Fingers
Dragonfly Dreams
Outlawz Festive Fri
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paperbabe Stamps
Pattie's Creations
Stamping Sensations
Winter Wonderland

     Have yourself a wonderful weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 14, Letter "L" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     Day 14 and today we get to use the letter "L" on our cards for the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place.    I've used a sweet image with Lambs around the manger which holds the Lamb of God.  I also did Lots of Layers and used a Beccy's sentiment - "Let us adore Him."

Colored with ProMarkers
Glitter added to halo
Die cut with stitched die (Die-namics)
Gold sparkle paper from Recollections (Unbranded die)
Blue CS cut with pinpoint die from Memory Box
Stitched ribbon from Crafty Ribbons
White card base
3 layers on the sentiment (unbranded dies)
A total of 8 layers including the card base

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
C.R.A.F.T.
Cute Card Thurs
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Paperbabe Stamps
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Take It, Make It
Time Out

     Have a great day and find some crafting time.  It'll strengthen your spirit.  :-)  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Non-Christmas Image for Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     So today is another of the curves Beccy throws out to compensate for the 4 days without alphabet prompts during the 30 Days of Christmas.  Today the requirement is to use an image which is NOT a Christmas or holiday image and use it for a holiday/Christmas card.

     Honestly, it took me longer to decide what image(s) to use than it did to color and create the card.  How many of you could guess that I'd choose felines for my card?  There are 2 separate images here, one is Alley Cat and the other is Moggie, both from Beccy's Cattitude set.  The sentiment can be blamed only on me but with those facial expressions, what else could it be?  Such disbelief and discouragement!  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Unbranded die
Snowflakes cut from scrap bits with AI dies
Card front embossed with "Linen" EF (another scrap)

     Challenges:
Coloring in Scrapland
Dragonfly Dreams
Incy Wincy
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Paper Girls
Passion for ProMarkers
Pixie's Snippets
Stamping Sensations
SUYP Cats
Tues Throwdown

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 4, Letter "D" - 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place

     One more day at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas and since it's Day 4, we're using the letter "D" as a prompt.  This was a good one for me since I was able to wrap a lot of "D"s into just the image - Drummer, Drum, Drumsticks, Drumming, and Dark jungle green on the Drum (though it looks almost black.)  In addition, I used a Die, did Dry embossing, and used Deep burgundy CS behind the image.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Unbranded die
Embossing on card front
Snowflake button, glittered added

     Challenges:
Classic DT
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Friendship
Morgan's ArtWorld
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Pearly Sparkles

     Another post shortly; I'm trying to get caught up.  Look for the letter "E" in the next post.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Warm Winter Wishes

     It's time for the November monthly challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies and this month, we're sponsored by Paper Shelter.  They generously supplied a set of images which includes black and white outline or pre-colored images, plus sentiments and backgrounds.  The set chosen is called "Holy Night" and what I like best is that it could be used for Christmas or any winter theme.

     Here's my own hand-colored version of the main image.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Unbranded die
Background paper from Doodlebug (my favorite papers for winter/Christmas cards have snowflakes.  I like them because we never get snow where I live and that's my way of having a "white Christmas." )
Dark blue dp from DCWV
Snowflakes with glitter and gems

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
C.R.A.F.T.
Cute Card Thurs
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Southern Girls
Time Out

     I have a total of 5 posts today!  That's what happens when the first of the month falls on a Friday, the day I do my usual DT post for QKR Stampede and Brown Sugar (first Friday.)  On the 1st, I also have my DT posts for 2 Crafty Critter Crazies (you're reading it now) and SheepSki Designs.   This month, very late tonight, I have a post as a Guest Designer for Mo's Digital Pencil.

     I hope we're going to see you playing along with us this month.  Remember, all you need to enter 2 Crafty Critter Crazies is a "Critter" featured on your project.  Other than that, it's always Anything Goes.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Batdog to the Rescue!

     OK, OK, I know there's no "Batdog" in real life or even in the comics but think of him as a recent, mythical creature!  I adore the cute image we received this month from Polkadoodles for the Outlawz Progressive Challenge.  Perfect for another Halloween card with her little pup all dressed in his bat costume.  :-D

I pulled my colors from the

Ike's World challenge.

Colored with ProMarkers & gel pens
Cut with an Unbranded die
Ribbons (black sparkle and orange/white stripes) - both are scraps
Gemstone bling on the bow
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
I {heart} ProMarkers
Passion for ProMarkers
TTCRD

     That's all for today and I hope your weekend is going well.  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

A Christmas Mouse with Holly

     Digi Doodle Studios has a sketch challenge over on Facebook this month and I pulled this adorable little mouse with his holly sprig out of my collection of DDS images and now I can add one more Christmas card to my stash.

     I love using creatures that are wearing Santa caps for Christmas cards rather than actual Santa images but that's probably because I don't have very many images of Santa or Father Christmas but lots of animal images.

     Here's my card and the sketch.

     

Colored with ProMarkers and Copics
Stickles added to the "O" in the Noel, the snowflake on his hat, and the ornament in his hand
Image and frame cut with Memory Box pinpoint dies
Strip of dp from scraps - stitched die from Unbranded dies
Snowflakes with glitter added (glitter is my fav embellie for Christmas cards!)
Gems from STAMPendous

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
As You Like It
C.R.A.F.T.
Digi Doodle Studios
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Scrappy Land
Take It, Make It
Winter Wonderland
Work It Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  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 Wishes

     I'm pushing hard for autumn because it will mean an end to the hot days of summer.  You'll see autumn cards from me more than once this week.  I'm sure there are people who love summer temperatures in the 100+F, but I'm not one of them.  Miserably hot summers may be the one thing that makes me regret moving from my northern California home to be closer to family.  I love being with my family - I just wish they had lived some place cooler.  lol

     Today, I've used an image from Ching-Chou Kuik, where the challenge theme celebrates "Four Legged Friends."

ProMarkers
Unbranded die to cut image
Memory Box die to cut orange butterfly corner
Stitched ribbon form Crafty Ribbons

     Challenges:
Butterfly  (Juicy Orange)
Crafts Galore Encore
Crafty Sentiments
Cutie Pie
Dies R Us
Double Trouble (A/G + die cuts)
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz SAR
Tues Throwdown

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Gladioli for Mom

     This is my second post of the day and I want to welcome you to our latest challenge at SheepSki Designs.  Our theme this month is "Flower Power" and Andrea has some of most incredible flower images, including this one "Gladioli No. 142."

     I remember my mom grew glads in her garden and my favorites of all the colors she raised were a soft, peachy-pink that faded into almost white around the very edges of the petals.  I tried to re-create those when I colored this image with ProMarkers and water colors.  I cut the image with a rectangle die from QuicKutz and inked the edges with a ProMarker.

     I printed the sentiment using a computer font, then cut that with an Unbranded die.  The circle was cut with a die from Memory Box. 

     Challenges:
Allsort's 
Colour Crazy
Crafty Creations
Di's Digi Designs
Paperbabe Stamps
Pattie's Creations
Pile It On
Polkadoodles
Word Art Weds.

     If you missed my first post of the day for 2 Crafty Critter Crazies, scroll down one post.  I hope to see you at both challenges.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie    

Floating By

     It's a lazy kind of weekend at our house.  I've been hiding in the craft room while grandson has a baseball game and the younger granddaughter is working.  Older granddaughter lives in her own house now so who knows what she might be doing.  Sleeping in, probably, if her fur babies allow.   I was working with this sweet image from Limited Runs Progressive Challenge and it seems to perfectly reflect how lazy the day is.

     The coloring on this one is a mix of ProMarkers, watercolor paints, and bleached dp (the pink half circle.)  The image and the sentiment are cut with oval dies from QuicKutz.  The blue rectangle with the cross-stitching was cut with an Unbranded die. 

     The pink circle had been cut with a die from My Favorite Things Die-namics.  I cut it in half for use on another project and this half was left over. 

     The bow was made with a bit of Baker's twine.  Everything (except the image piece) started out as a scrap and I cut them to suit based on how large or small they were.  Even the card base was a left over piece of 12" x 12" CS which had  been used in scrapbooking.

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Dragonfly Dreams
Ike's World
Lemon Shortbread
Passion for ProMarkers
Pile It On
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pug Love

     I'm sneaking this post onto the blog while the feline fur babies are distracted by my first post this morning which featured a kitten (at their insistence!)  They don't much like it when I feature other animals, most especially dogs.

     On the other hand, who could resist this precious little pug?  Let me tell you a quick back story about this card.  My eldest granddaughter and her best friend have rented a house, each of them moving away from home on that "I'm now an adult" adventure.  Her friend has a sweet little pug named Eva and, when I saw this image at Ching-Chou Kuik, I knew I had to do a card for her.

     I had it planned for her birthday but then, over the weekend, she was in a car accident wherein the car in which she was riding was rear-ended by another car.  Although there's nothing life threatening, she's pretty banged up and in a lot of pain from classic whip lash injuries, including headaches and throwing up.  The ER doctors told her she's going be even more sore by this morning than she was yesterday.  I knew what she needed most was to hug her pug so I'm sending this card to her as a get well.  :-D

     I enlisted my granddaughter's help in getting a photo of Eva so that I could do the coloring to match her.  Here's what she sent.

     The little black kitten is Luna, a recent addition to the family and she immediately decided that Eva was her new momma.

     Here's the card:

     I used ProMarkers to color the image with added highlights done in gel ink.  I cut the image, the mat for it, and the sentiment with Unbranded, cross stitch dies.  Everything went onto a kraft card base.

     I added metal brads to upper and lower corners, then left it alone, adding no other embellishments.  I wanted the image to be the focus of the card.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafts Galore Encore
Creative Inspirations
Ching-Chou Kuik
I {heart} ProMarkers
Morgan's ArtWorld
Paper Fundays
Paper Nest Dolls
Path of Positivity
Scrap from Your Heart

     Two posts on one day and it's been a while since I did that so enjoy!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Monsters Are Hiding

     Did you know that when monsters hide (in the closet, under the bed, behind the flower pot), they can't be seen?  It's true!  Check this out.

     This image is for the April Progressive Challenge at Sasayaki Glitter and I colored it with watercolors, then used gel inks on the flowers and eyes.  I did all the die cuts with Unbranded dies.  The little plaid bow is actually made from a strip of fabric.  I added the glittered ribbon for just a touch of sparkle.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Cardz TV
Crafty Catz
Creative Fingers
Double D
Happy Craft
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz PAM
Take It, Make It

     Hey, we're mid-way through the week!  Does anybody else feel like time goes way to quickly these days?  I mean, we're a third of the way into April and almost a third of the way through 2019, and it still feels like I was doing Christmas cards just a couple of weeks ago.  Sigh...  Oh, well, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Bunny's Bonnet

     I found this darling image in my collection of A Day for Daisies digis and thought it needed to be on a spring card.  What a fun idea - a bunny wearing her new spring bonnet!

     I colored with ProMarkers, adding glitter to the bonnet, then cut the image with an Unbranded oval die.  The bonnet in the image isn't actually that shape but I cut a tiny scrap with a very small scalloped die (Spellbinders), covered it with glitter, and adhered it onto the bonnet, giving the piece some great texture and sparkle.

     I found two scraps, one of pale lavender and the other of purple CS, on my desk.  One I trimmed into a simple rectangle and the other I cut into the sentiment with a die from CUTplorations.  I added all the elements to a light blue card front and chose one of my signature bows as embellishment.

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Catz
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Inspirations
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
I {heart} ProMarkers
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds.

     I hope your weekend was restful and creative and that you're ready for the new week.  Thanks for stopping by.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie  

Easter Hatchlings?

     Here we are on the fist Thursday of a new month and that means a new challenge is starting over at Crafting with an Attitude.  As always, our theme is "Anything goes" and this month our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps.

     Did you ever think when you were hunting for all the eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny that some of them might hatch?  I think that's what happened to this little gal as she was putting all her eggs into her garden wagon.  Now she has a garden blooming with chicks and eggs!  :-D  You can find her by clicking HERE.

     I grabbed my ProMarkers to color the image, adding grass and sky to make it a scene, then cut it with a stitched die from Die-namics (My Favorite Things.)  I printed the sentiment and cut that with a Die-namics die also.  I matted both the image and the sentiment with cross stitch, die cut, papers (Unbranded dies.)

     I used pink CS to make the gate fold card base, leaving one flap very long and the other one narrower but just long enough to tuck in behind the long side.  I embossed the long side with a folder from Couture Creations.  The borders of the long side, both pink and white, were cut with a Poppy Stamps die.  I simply layered everything together onto the long side of the gate fold, playing with the layout until it all looked 'finished.'

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug
Coloring in Scrapland
Crafty Sentiments
Cute and Crafty
Cupcake Inspirations

Double Trouble (Taking Suzanne's suggestion - the cart is wooden!)
Ike's World
Incy Wincy
Paper Girls
Passion for ProMarkers
Poppystamps

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Yellow Easter Rose

     I absolutely love the vintage feel of this card and I know exactly who's going to get it for Easter.  I have one friend in particular who adores anything vintage and this will be perfect for her.  She also loves yellow roses so, of course, that was the color I chose for the main focal point.

     I printed the image in gray scale, then colored it with ProMarkers.  I printed the sentiment and cut both image and sentiment with Unbranded, oval, dies.  I found a strip of scrap lace, trimmed it to size, and added it to the left edge of the card front.

     I used one of my signature, hand-sewn bows, which I 'dyed' yellow to match the main rose, then added a tiny button.

      Challenges:
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Friends
Dare 2B Artsy
Dragonfly Dreams
Get Creative
Jo's Scrap Shack
Southern Girls
Take It, Make It
Unicorn
Word Art Weds.

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Spring Bird in His Garden

     This image from the Progressive Challenge at Limited Runs is so perfect for spring (which hasn't arrived at my house yet - how about yours?)  Each day with a freezing temperature makes me wish more strongly for spring. 

     Before I had decided what to do for the background, I saw that the Color challenge at The Outlawz gave us one color (green), an option to choose two other colors from the inspiration photo (see below) - I chose pink and pale blue - and the twist was to make our own background.  I sorted through the dp scraps on my desk, added a strip of washi tape, and laid them all together on the card front to make the background.  Fortunately, all the dp scraps were distressed and worked well together.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers and cut it with a stitched Unbranded die.  The glossy, pink frame was cut with a Cottage Cutz pinpoint die.  I thought they complemented each other.  The pale pink satin ribbon was a left over scrap and the deep pink ribbon for the bow was in my stash.  I added a tiny gemstone to it.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
Papercraft
Passion for ProMarkers
{PIN}spirational
TTCRD

     Thanks for visiting.  Please stop by again tomorrow when I'll have my weekly post for QKR Stampede.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Three Blind Mice

     Welcome to yet another Friday and the start of another "Anything Goes" challenge at QKR Stampede.   I've been playing with some of the older images in my QKR collection and this one, called "Blind Mice," was perfect for a card that seems to say "I'm really missing you!"

     I made this card before I found my markers so this is colored with a combination of water color paints and colored pencils.  I cut the image and the sentiment with Unbranded, cross-stitch dies, then mounted both pieces onto a scrap of dark blue CS.

     The argyle plaid paper was in my stash of 12 x 12 scrapbooking papers which I am determined to use following the reorganization (which forced me to recognize and admit just how much paper I have in my rather overwhelming stash!)  There's no getting around the fact that I have to use up a ton of paper before I can justify purchasing any more.  lol

     I found a scrap of jute cord in a color perfect for this card and added it before layering on the image.  I wanted this to be a masculine card so I didn't embellish it any further.

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Crafting from the Heart
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Friends
Creative Fingers
Cutie Pie
Ike's World
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Festive Fri
Take It, Make It

     Have a great weekend and come play with us this week.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie