December Challenge at Brown Sugar

     Good morning and happy Friday morning.  We're starting a new monthly challenge today over at Brown Sugar.  Our sponsor this month is The Paper Shelter and they supplied us with an image set called "Holy Night."  Paper Shelter is having a sale this month and the image we all used is included in the sale.

     Interestingly enough, I used this very same image for a DT card last month but with a different team.  You can see what I did for them by clicking this LINK.  Rather than duplicate something I had just done, I decided to use the beautiful background that came with the set and build a scene on top of it with die cut deer and Liquid Pearls.

Background paper from The Paper Shelter (Holy Night digi set)
Cottage Cutz dies for deer - colored w/ metallic ProMarkers
Sentiment cut with Die-versions dies
Liquid Pearls for deer hoof prints in the snow
Snowflake cut with Art Impressions die
Blue rhinestone added to snowflake center

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Dare 2B Artsy
Dream Valley
Incy Wincy
Outlawz SAR
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Simon Says Stamp & Show
Sparkles Christmas
Tales from the Craft Room
Your Scrapbook Place

     I hope we're going to see you playing along with us this month.  This is my last month on the Brown Sugar DT but I'll be visiting many of you before the month ends.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cardinal Christmas

     Having done 30 Christmas cards with images from Beccy's Place over the month of November, here I am starting December with another of her images.  Beccy is sponsoring our challenge this month at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies where our theme is always "Anything Goes with a Critter."  All you need to do is feature a creature on your project and you can enter it.

     I've used one of Beccy's gorgeous cardinals, this one called Cardinal and Holly, and you can grab it as a freebie if you click on the image name above.

I used red and green from the colors at Color My Heart.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Memory Box die
Sentiment from Beccy's cut with Sizzix die
Red, stitched, satin ribbon
Wide, sheer ribbon for bow
Black card base

     Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's
Creative Knockouts
Digi Choosday
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Greetings
Simon Says Stamp
Southern Girls

     I hope you're going to come play in our challenge this month.  You have until the 25th of the month to link up your entries.  We love being inspired by you but the team probably won't be commenting this month because we give them time off so they can get ready for their own holiday celebrations.  Merry Christmas to all.  NanaConnie

Ice Skating

     Having grown up in an area where snow never falls and ice doesn't form on the ponds, any ice skating was done in a rink and the next town over actually had an ice rink.  I was probably 10 or 11 years old when I discovered a pair of ice skates in one of my Grammy's old trunks and had to try them on, just for curiosity sake.  They were a great fit, though a bit tight around the heel.  She had very narrow feet! 

     I clumped around in them for a couple of weeks and finally asked my mother if she would drive me over to the ice rink.  Forget that I'd never done anything other than roller skate and had no idea how to ice skate, nor that it was a 45 minute drive over to the next town - I was determined to go!

     She was a loving mother and saw how much I wanted to try my hand (my feet?  my rear end?) at ice skating so as my Christmas present that year, she managed to scrape up the funds for 3 ice skating lessons and faithfully drove me to the rink three different times for the lessons.  What I learned is that ice skating isn't roller skating, that ice is harder than it looks, and that the Olympic ice skaters who look so magnificent probably did nothing other than practice, practice, practice all day long!

      Fortunately for my backside, I quickly outgrew the skates as my feet increased in shoe size and Grammy's tiny skates had to be left behind.  However, this darling image (progressive challenge freebie) from Scrapper's Delights brought back all those wonderful memories.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Aleene's Sparkle Snow added w/ palette knife (Adding snow this way gives such great texture!)
Cut with Memory Box die
Edges inked with ProMarker
Papers w/ spots and wavy stripes are scraps
Signature, hand-sewn bow w/ gem
Signature hand cut and edges inked

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Catz
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs
Scrapper's Delights Progressive

      Have a great weekend.  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

Sledding by ..

     A second post from me today so that I can share with you a card I made for a Christmas card exchange organized by Digi Doodle Studios.  We were assigned exchange partners (either within our country or international) and we had to use a Digi Doodle Studios image, which was no problem for me because I love every one I've ever seen.  :-D   I used Penguins Lottie and Tillie and I think they are so cute on their little sled.

Colored with ProMarkers
Fussy cut with scissors
Background by Paper Shelter
Sentiment hand cut
Image and sentiment mounted on Pop Dots
Glittered snowflakes and gem added

     Challenges:
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs
Digi Choosday
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds
Lemon Shortbread
TTCRD

     Have a great day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 9, Letter "H" at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     Day 9 means the letter "H" at Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas and I'm using a few fairly simple "H"s - Happy family, Happy Holidays, Holly, "...our House to yours...", Hats, and Holly berries.  I absolutely love this Happy snowman family with a Houseful of baby snowkids from Beccys!

Colored with ProMarkers
Die cut with QuicKutz dies
Frame dp from Doodlebug
Holly leaves (from Beccy's Place) fussy cut
Front panel embossed w/ "Linen" folder
Snowflakes cut with Art Impressions dies
Snowflake button w/ glitter
Sentiment (Beccy's Place) hand cut and matted

     Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
CCC Digi Creations
Christmas Crafts All Year ...
Crafty Hazelnut's 
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
Dies R Us
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds
Scrappy Land

     That's it for today.  I'm heading back to the craft room to work on another card for Beccy's Place and you'll see it posted in the next day or two.  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

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 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

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

Keeping Warm

     This lovely image from the Scrapper's Delights Progressive Challenge should make anyone feel warm and cozy this winter.  Since the temperatures where I live have dropped from "hot, hot, HOT" all the way down to autumn comfortable with delightfully cool nights, I'm more than willing to start making "keep warm" cards.  :-D  I don't know if she's drinking tea, coffee, hot chocolate, hot cider, or a hot toddy, but whatever it is, it seems to be working!

I used colors from the top row of the color board at

Color My Heart Color Dare.  

I also used Lemonade for her hair and Ballerina for her skin.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with QuicKutz circles
Background paper from Doodlebug
Sentiment also from Scrapper's Delights
Glittered snowflake embellies

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Crafty Creations
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Tuesday Throwdown
Word Art Weds.

     Thanks for visiting.  I do appreciate the comment you leave.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Reindeer in Blue

     My second post for the day and this one features a Bugaboo Stamps reindeer.  There's a back story to this which I want to share.  A friend and fellow DT member used the prettiest quilting die on a card last week and I fell in love with the die.  I emailed her and, being a good enabler, she shared with me a link to the online shop where she had gotten hers.

     When I visited, my plan was to mind my budget and buy only that one die.  But... well, if you're a true crafter, you already know what happened.  I saw another quilt die that I liked, couldn't decide between them so they both went into my cart.  Then I noticed that if I purchased additional products, I could get free shipping and the shipping cost was pretty much the same as another die (ok, maybe  two), so when all was said and done, I had 5 new die sets in the cart!

     I used one of them as the background on this card, turned as they say in quilting, 'on point.'

Colored with ProMarkers & sequins added for sparkle
Image cut with double stitched die from CUTplorations
Quilted die from Gina Marie
Sentiment die from Die-Namics
Flocked star from Deja Views
Glitter added to some of the quilting pieces

     Challenges:
Catch the Bug
Crafty Hazelnut's ("S"= sparkle, sequins)
Crafty Sentiments
Cute N Crafty Christmas
Double D
House that Stamps Built  (Brrrrr, Bird, Blue, Blocks)
I {heart} ProMarkers
Ike's World
Lemon Shortbread
Scrappy Land
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Latte Good Wishes

     What could be better than a morning latte with the girls?  Nothing, as this fun stamp from Art Impressions shows!

ProMarkers for coloring
QuicKutz dies for card shape and circle cuts
Art Impressions die for snowflake

     Challenges:
Brown Sugar
Color Crazy
Crafty Calendar
Creative Fingers
Cute Card Thurs.
Di's Digi Designs
Dragonfly Dreams
Polkadoodles
Time Out

     I'll have a second post later today so be sure to check back.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tis the Season of Magical Reindeer and Elves

     Day 4 in the week-long, Christmas in July challenges at Catch the Bug and today's theme is BINGO + "Inspired by the movie Elf."  My BINGO choices were Ribbon & Bow/ Bugaboo image/ Die cut. 

     I have several Elf images in my collection of Bugaboo Stamps but the one I used today is one of my absolute favorites.   It has a sense of magic with a reindeer that flies and an elf who makes toys for Santa.

Don't they look like they're waiting for Santa to come back from vacation?  lol

ProMarkers
Sue Wilson (background panel) & Die-Versions (sentiment) dies
Satin ribbon & bow
3 gems
Kraft CS for card base
Almost everything was cut or put together from scraps, including the ribbon strip and bow.

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Crafty Gals Corner
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Girls
Pile It On
Pixie's Snippets
Scrappy Land

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas in July

     OK, it's official - I'm doing Christmas cards this entire week.  Catch the Bug is holding its annual, week long, Christmas in July challenge and there will be 7 challenges, one each day.  Here's my first card inspired by the movie, "The Santa Claus."  Image from Bugaboo Stamps.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with QuicKutz square die
Fiskars corner punch
Wide satin ribbon from my stash
Scored lines top and bottom
Kraft CS for card base

     Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
CCC Digi
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Catz
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Sentiments
Cut It Up
Mod Squad
Outlawz Festive Fri
Paper Minutes
Pile It On
Scor-Pal More Than One Score
Tales from the Craft Room

     See you tomorrow with another Christmas card.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Winter Warm Up

     It's the First of March and our newest challenge at SheepSki Designs begins today.  We have a fun theme of  "Your Favorite Colors" and I stretched it a bit to show one of my favorite color combos - purple and blue.  The image is called "Winter Warmer" and you can find it by clicking on the name.  I thought she looked so gorgeous wrapped in that warm winter scarf.

     She's colored with a combination of ProMarkers and polychromos pencils, and I cut her with a stitched die from Memory Box.  I cut blue and purple dp with other stitched dies from that same set, picking up the blues and purples in the image.

     I made the card base from kraft CS because I loved the way the dp popped off it.  I found a piece of lovely, lace ribbon and laid it diagonally across the card base before applying the dp and the image.  I embellished the design with a 'butterfly' shaped bow with pearl for the body.

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments (top L to bottom R)
Butterfly  (Burgundy + Bow - which is also the butterfly!)
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Creations
Creative Knockouts
House that Stamps Built
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Winter Heart

     This will be a quick post today but I had to do some coloring and crafting just for sanity sake and this cute winter image from Bugaboo Stamps was on top of the pile of images which I have ready to color.

     I love Bugaboo Stamps and have printed several of them because my crafting room will soon be in chaos while I pack up and re-organize.  In addition to that, this coming weekend begins the week long birthday celebration at Catch the Bug and I want to play in as many of those daily challenges as I can so I'm trying to work ahead (one of the advantages to being on their newsletter subscriber list is that you find out the themes before they are published on the daily posts during that week!)

     I colored with ProMarkers and used a die from Spellbinders to cut the image and frame.  The sentiment was part of the image set and I cut it with another die from Spellbinders, then inked the edges.

     The bow is one of those I sew up by the dozens but this one has a faceted gem instead of the usual pearl.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Catch the Bug
Creative Knockouts
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Penny's Paper Crafty
Time Out

     Wishing you a warm and loving day!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Coldest Day of Winter

     We start a new challenge over at Crafting with an Attitude and our theme is always "Anything Goes."  Our wonderful sponsor this month is Lacy Sunshine (Colour of Love) and I'm using a darling image called Rory's Winter Day.

My colors came from My Favorite Things.

     I decided to do a card using the 'spotlight' technique so I printed the image twice, cut one with a rectangle die from Spellbinders, and colored the second one with my ProMarkers, adding just a touch of sparkle with some glitter on the snowflakes.

     Once colored, I used a circle die (QuicKutz) to cut just the portion of the image where I wanted to focus attention.  I inked the edges of both cut pieces, then layered the colored circle on top of the black and white image to create the 'spotlight.'

     I found an icy-blue card base, wrapped it with sparkly, silver and white ribbon, then added the image.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and added it to the lower section of the card front.  I think this is a delightful CAS design with just enough sparkle to celebrate the cold chill of early January!

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Cardz TV
Cute N Crafty
Cutie Pie
Double Trouble
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Whoopsi Daisy

     That's it for today but I'll have another post tomorrow and then I'll be back to my post holiday activities.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie 

Snow Buddies

     The challenge theme at SheepSki Designs this month is "New or Old" and since I'm still on my Holiday break, I'm sharing with you a card with an image more than 2 years old.  The image is called "Penguin Pals" and I think it's absolutely adorable!  Two penguins building their own snow man penguin.

     I colored with ProMarkers and die cut both the image and the frame with dies from Cheery Lynn.  I mounted those onto a a deep green card base.  I added a single, hand-tied, red bow and the sentiment, then left it CAS.

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Cardz TV
Crafty Hazelnut's
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs.
Outlawz Twisted Thurs 
Penny's Paper-Crafty

     Have yourself a wonderful New Year's Day and I'm sending wishes for a happy and prosperous year.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Digging In or Out?

     Happy New Year to all of you!  The first day of 2019 and the first day of our new January monthly challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies!  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and this month our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps.  They have their own challenge going - a Bingo board - which will be open through Friday.  I used the top row of that board to make my card - Texture/ No dp/ & a Bugaboo Stamps image.

     I love their cute images and have a quickly growing collection of them.  They generously provided the DT with images to use for this challenge and I'm using "Winter Bird Friend."

     I colored with ProMarkers and water colors, then used a die from CUTplorations to cut the image.  I inked the edges and turned it on an angle on a square card.  I printed the sentiment, hand cut it, and inked the edges of it.

     I added the three, sparkly snowflakes and beyond that, left it CAS.

     Challenges:
AAA Cards
A Gem of a Challenge
Cutie Pie
Di's Digi Designs
Jo's Scrap Shack
Outlawz PAM
Stamping Sensations

     Please come and play with us this month.  The holidays are behind us (for the most part) and we have time to take a breath before Valentine's Day swoops in and inundates us.  We'd love to be inspired by you and your creations.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie