3 Christmas Kittens

      Is this the most adorable image ever?  I mean, even people who are dog lovers instead of cat lovers have to admit these three are too cute to ignore.  :-D  This is a clip art image which I printed in gray scale and then colored.

     I used my polychromos pencils, blended with gamsol, for that soft fur look.  Highlights were added using white and red gel pens.  I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die, then framed it with gauze paper, trimmed closely with my Fiskars cutting board.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut, and the little candy canes (which are 3D) came from K & Co.  Everything was mounted onto a green card base.

     Challenges:

Coloring w Pencils

C.R.A.F.T.

Crazy for Cats

Creative Inspiration

Friendship

Kerst Christmas

LeighSBDesigns

My Fav Things

Outlawz Friday

Pattie's Creations

SUYP Cats

     Have a wonderful day, stay cool in the hot weather (or dry if it's raining on you), and make your day one of the best, even if you have to just arbitrarily restart it every hour.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas is Just Around the Corner!

      Can you  believe tomorrow is the first day of autumn?  That means Thanksgiving (in the US & Canada) and Christmas are closing in faster than you can believe, less than 100 days now.   The House Mousies  know this and they're already decorating for the Christmas holidays.  The theme at House Mouse this fortnight is the usual "Anything Goes" (with a House Mouse image) but it has an option of "Christmas Around the Corner."

     I adore this darling House Mouse carrying his candy cane across the 'tightrope' of a light string.  You just know instinctively that he's going to hang the cane as decoration.  

     I used ProMarkers on the image and heat embossed clear EP to create the 'shine' around the tree lights.  I used one of my oldest Spellbinders dies, a simple rectangle, to cut the image.  The dp with the tree is from K & Co., and the text dp is from a very old scrapbooking stack by DCWV.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Christmas Kickstart

Crafty Catz

Crafty Hazelnut's ...

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

     OK, one more Christmas card in the stash but the stash is growing more slowly than I'd like.  I guess I'd better get on the ball here and add one or two Christmas cards each week.  So many of mine have to be mailed which means my deadline is actually earlier than most.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Basket of Candy Canes

      It's time for our mid-month reminder at Jan's Digi Stamps and the challenge will run until Sunday, January 3.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and you may use images from any company.  However, if you do use a Jan's Digi Stamps image, your entry goes into a separate draw just for entries which used JDS.

     Here's my DT card featuring one of Jan's newest sets (and it's ON SALE until Christmas!) called Candy Cane Basket.  This time, I've used the pre-colored image in the set and I've merged one of the sentiments so that it printed as part of the image.

     This image brings back childhood memories of a round, wicker basket which sat on a table near the front door and during the Christmas season, it was always filled with candy canes.  It was so hard not to sneak one out of the basket for secret eating when nobody was looking but they were there for friends and family who stopped by.  Even the mail man or other delivery people who brought packages were rewarded with a candy cane treat from the basket.  If there were any left on Christmas Eve, they were taken from the basket and put on the tree.  If Santa didn't eat them instead of his cookies, then good little children could have one from the tree after Christmas dinner.  

     Thank you, Jan, for bringing back such delightful memories.  :-D

Image cut w QuicKutz die

Matted w embossed red CS & kraft CS

Both mats cut w QuicKutz dies

Gold glitter paper for card front

Satin-edged, sheer ribbon

Triple-loop bow tied w bow maker

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe Stamps

TTCRD

Winter Wonderand

Your Next Stamp

     Come play with us this month!  We love  being inspired by you.  Happy Crafting, my friends.  NanaConnie

Sweet Treat

     I'm finally getting back to my Christmas cards.  I did really well making Christmas cards in July but since then, I think I've only made 1 or 2 and my goal has been to make at least 2 per week between now and November.
   
     Christmas cards are a priority in my crafting because I use between 15 and 20 for my own family and friends but I make an additional 75 to 80 every year which I donate to our local Senior Center for those seniors who can't get out to the Hallmark store to buy cards for their own families.  I'm trying to do even more this year because so many are isolated due to the lock down regulations.

     Today's card uses an image from Angie's Digital Stamps.  Isn't she a sweetheart?

Colored w/ ProMarkers
Cut w/ Spellbinders die
Scrap of lace added
Sparkle EP strip heat embossed on lace
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Christmas w/ the Cuties
Colour Crazy
Crafty Hazelnut's 
Creative Knockouts
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Festive Fri
Time Out
TTCRD

      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

First Ever Blog Hop at Createful Heart

     Welcome to our first ever Blog Hop - November, 2017!  We’re so glad you decided to join us.  We hope that you’ll not only join in on the Blog Hop, but the current Challenge #7.  We have an Overall Winner and Top 3 each challenge.  Our theme for Challenge #7 is "CHRISTMAS."

     Before I go on, there are some simple rules to follow to be eligible for the Blog Hop Door Prize (20% Coupon toward any digi purchase of $10 or more in Createful Heart’s Etsy Store):

1.  You MUST leave a comment on each Design Team member’s blog, including the Createful Heart Blog.
2.  You MUST be a follower of the CHDD blog.
3.  Winner will be announced on the next Challenge #8 and also on our Facebook Page: Createful Heart Digis & Designs.

4.  The date of this Blog Hop will run throughout the duration of the current Challenge #7, November 30th through December 13th, 2017.  

    Now let me show you what I created for the Challenge #7 - Blog Hop!

     I used this adorable "Snow Family" image from Createful Heart, colored with my ProMarkers, and cut with an Unbranded die.  I cut the frame for it with another die from that same set, only one size larger.  That has to be my favorite die for making lace ovals or doilies.  The printed sentiment was also cut with a die from that set.

     Everything was mounted onto a colored card base.  I added narrow green ribbon and tied a double bow, then added the green, sparkly candy cane, and called it finished.  I wanted it to be as flat as possible for mailing.

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Gals Corner
Cuttlebug Mania

Digi Choosday
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Passion for ProMarkers
Tuesday Throwdown

     Okay, there you have it folks.  This is my last card as a DT member for Createful Heart and I wish them all the best.  Be sure to get to “hopping” and also get your own Christmas card entered into the challenge.  Have fun with it and Happy Stamping!  NanaConnie

Fat Pants for Christmas

     This is the last day of the 30 Days of Holiday Cards at Beccy's Place and I've done it!  I've played each and every day!  I've had so much fun this month and I adore Beccy's images so I know I'm going to miss doing that many cards, all with her sweet stamps.  Maybe I'll have to apply to be part of her DT next time she has a space open.  :-D

     Since the alphabet is finished and we have no more letters to use as themes, today we get to use whatever we love.  I fell in love with this silly sentiment which is in one of Beccy's sets (wish I could remember which one but I have too many.)  "It's Christmas - Get your Fat Pants ready!"  I knew I wanted to use that sentiment so I looked through my growing collection of her stamps until I found all these wonderful Christmas goodies with which we stuff ourselves from now until the New Year.  (giggle)

     I found the Christmas Puddings, a bundle of candy canes decorated with holly and ribbon, and a single candy cane, which I printed twice, reversing one of them.

     I used ProMarkers to color the candy canes, the holly, and the ribbons, then I fussy cut all of those with scissors.  I printed the main bundle of candy canes one more time, colored it also, and then die cut it with a lacy doily Unbranded die. 

     I used my paper cutter to cut the large square around all Christmas Puddings and layered that onto the white card front.  I placed the die cut candy cane bundle onto the very middle of the puddings, adhered with ultra sticky tape.  I took the single candy canes and added them to the fussy cut bundle canes.  I used mini Pop Dots and added them on top of the die cut canes.  That not only gave great dimension but also some wonderful texture. 

     I found some lovely sheer gold ribbon, wrapped it around the top of the card front. then added one of my hand sewn bows which I 'dyed' red with a marker.  I inked the edges of the sentiment and added it.  Yes, indeed, definitely time for the "fat pants!"

     Challenges:
Beccy's Place
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Sentiments
Everybody Art
Ike's World
Kraftin' Kimmie
Lemon Shortbread
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Penny's Paper-Crafty
TTCRD

     Thank you, Beccy, for such a fun month of Christmas cards.  See you for the next regular challenge.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie  

Old World Santa for Holiday Chaos Day 1

     I said they were being posted out of order but this is my card for the Holiday Chaos Day 1 challenge at Catch the Bug, "All that Sparkles."  I've already shared the card for Day 2.

     I used one of the sweet 'Old World Santas' from Bugaboo Stamps for this really CAS card.  I printed the santa and the sentiment onto the same piece of scrap CS, then I colored it with ProMarkers, colored pencils, and lots of glitter on the tree and fur on Santa's coat.  Pretty simple with just three colors; red, green, and white.  I cut it into a simple rectangle, added ribbon, and put it on the front of a red card base.

     I found two, glittery candy canes in my stash and used those for embellishment.  I told you it was a really CAS design, one of my favorite techniques.  :-D

     Challenges:
Aloha Friday
Christmas Cards
Crafting with an Attitude
Crafty Calendar
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Creative Inspirations
Hiding in My Craft Room
Jo's Scrap Shack
Polkadoodles

     I won't be able to do Day 3 but with any luck I might be able to squeeze in the ones for Day 4 and Day 5.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie