Family Togetherness

      This is another collaboration card with my sis-in-law, Lainy.  A few weeks back, I introduced her to alcohol markers (a medium she had never used before) and her grasp of how to use them effectively came so quickly!  She is truly a fantastic colorist.  But the actual card making, layout, and design has become my end of the collaboration because she really loves the coloring more than the card making, which I love both ends of that particular crafting endeavor.  :-D

     The image on this card is clip art, printed in grayscale, and colored with Ohuhu mrkers.  I notice those are the markers she tends to grab first though I also have a wonderful array of ProMarkers and Sanjoki markers, plus a scattered few Copics.  Eventually, as the markers run dry, instead of refilling any of them, I'm shifting over to the Ohuhu markers altogether.

     I cut the image with a die from QuicKutz, then rounded the corners with a Fiskars punch.  I inked the edges of the image and layered it onto a piece of Recollections dp.  The black bow is a triple-loop bow made on my Zutter Bow-It-All and I used ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I have two of those bow makers (version 2.0 and version 3.0) and I wouldn't give them up for anything.  

     The only place I can find them anymore is on Amazon but having both of them means that Lainy and I can get work together making some good-sized bows for the holiday wreaths we are going to make for family.  We've been going through old crafting stash and scouring local craft stores for ribbons, wreath bases (all kinds), Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas 'foliage' picks, and small decorative bits that will enhance the wreaths.

     Ok, now for a look at the card.  I'm going to use this one for a Thanksgiving card.

     Challenges:

Colorful Options

Crafting Challenge

Crafty Gals Corner

Incy Wincy

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

Outlawz Weds

Penny's P-C

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Waiting for Halloween

      Today I'm sharing another of the Halloween cards I've made and we've made a lot of them in this household this year.  As I shared yesterday, my sis-in-law and I are sharing a house now and since we're both crafty people, we're delighted with the arrangement.  But between the two of us, we now have nearly 50 family members, including grands and great-grands (and a few extra friends) who will get cards from us for holidays, birthdays, etc. so she's coloring like mad and I'm turning those colored images into cards.  So far, we have about 36 Halloween cards made, some of which she colored, some of which I colored.  I colored the QKR Stampede image on today's card.

     I dearly love this old broom and have used it before on non-Halloween cards but this year it just seemed to speak out as a witch's broom so I colored it with my ProMarkers, cut it with a QuicKutz die, inked the edges with a marker, and added the sentiment (cut with an Avery Elle die.)  I made the background by using a scrap of dp which came from a Recollections stack.  I just thought all the mummy eyes peeking out added to the sense of waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the witches to arrive.  (Kind of like waiting for the cooler fall temperatures to arrive out here where I live!)  :-D

 

     Challenges:

Double Trouble

Inspired By (theme & colors)

I Love ProMarkers

Krafty Chicks

Pammie's IP

Paperminutes

Passion for Markers

Simon Says Stamp

     Enjoy your day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Fall Roses

      Last month, I won a challenge over at LeighSBDesigns and the prize was a coupon to their store and a chance to be a Guest Designer, using an image purchased with that coupon.   Today's card was made for my daughter's birthday which is in late October and I'm using the beautiful LeighSBDesigns image called Fall Roses.  My daughter loves yellow roses and the image just called for some autumn colors to enhance them.

     I used water color paints to color the image, let it dry over night, then cut it with a QuicKutz square die.  The brown CS frame was embossed using my 'Linen' EF.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a Tonic Studios die.  I added two hand-tied bows, one made from yellow gingham ribbon and the other from brown satin ribbon.  I layered them together with fabric glue.  Everything was put onto a 5.5" x 5.5" card base made from heavy duty white CS.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Can You Handle ...?

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Jan's Digi Stamps

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Tuesday (orange/yellow/green)

Pammie's IP

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

     Check out Leigh's Etsy shop.  You might fall in love with some of her lovely (or even the more quirky) images.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pumpkin Patch

      If Linus (from the Peanuts cartoon) plans on sitting in his pumpkin patch this Halloween, waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive, he's apt to run into this adorable witch from Star Stampz.  This is another of those images I had printed last fall which then ended up in a folder waiting to be colored.
     

     So, I grabbed my Sanjoki markers, colored the image, and then cut it with a stitched die from Memory Box.  The background haunted house dp (Paper Pizazz) was a scrap I had on hand, and I cut a crescent out of the image piece with a smaller die from that same Memory Box set of dies.  I chose one which had a round shape because I wanted to cut away enough of the image so that the haunted house would show but not ruin the image.  Cutting a crescent fit the bill perfectly.  

     The orange strip down the left side is actually a scrap of fall ribbon and the bats were cut with dies from Impression Obsession.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time

Archi-scraps

Classic Design

Creatalicious

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld
Outside the Box

SheepSki Designs (Halloween is definitely a fav!)

Two Old Bats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Beccy's Place 30 Days of Holidays - Letter "A"

      I'm a couple of days late getting started in the Month of Holidays Challenges at Beccy's Place but I hope to get caught up by doubling my posts for the rest of this week.  Each day, Beccy selects a letter of the alphabet and our cards need to reflect things using that letter.  For the additional 4 days (there are only 26 letters in the English alphabet but 30 days in November), she selects topics or themes for us to follow.  

     I'll be doing mostly Christmas cards but this year I'm a bit behind on Thanksgiving cards so you'll see a few cards for that holiday mixed in with those for Christmas.  I finally learned that Beccy allows any holiday, not just Christmas, and I've been playing in this November challenge for at least 7 years, maybe more.  This is her 10th year putting it on.

     This is my card using the letter "A" for Alcohol markers (ProMarkers), Apples, Amethyst (color of flowers), and Autumn (the season for Thanksgiving.)  I colored this Beccy's Place image with alcohol markers, then cut it with a die from QuicKutz.  The burnt orange CS frame was also cut with a QuicKutz die.  The dp came from an Autumn stack by DCWV.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Double D

Dragonfly Dreams

Paperbabe

Paper Funday

Penny's 

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cat Gratitude

      Today is the first day of the six day Cat Lovers Hop 2022.

     I've played in the hop every year since 2016, and may even have played the year it started (2015) but I can't confirm that, so I only claim 6 years of playing.   The card I made is a Thanksgiving card and we all know how grateful cats can be when they can get a high view from a tree branch.  :-D

     My card today is all die cuts and all scraps, but for the plaid dp from Taylor Made.  There's dry embossing on the orange CS.  I used my "Linen" EF but this time, I turned the CS scrap on the diagonal so that it has a cross-hatch look.  The tree was done using a die from Die-Versions and I cut black, brown, gold, tan, and eggshell scraps to get all the different leaf colors, plus the cat and tree trunk.  It took a lot of time to make all the cuts and individually place all the pieces but it was worth it in the end.

I based this on the sketch from The Outlawz, turned sideways

& using the leaves, trunk, & cat's tail as the shapes

 along the sides of the middle panel.

     Challenges:

4 Season

Creative Inspirations

Double D

Inspiration Station (harvest colors)

Jan's Digi Stamps

SUYP Cats

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Puppet Master

      Doesn't this wicked Puppet Master just creep you out?   He's from LeighSBDesigns and I decided he'd make a perfect, spooky, Halloween card.

     I colored the image with a combination of ProMarkers and water color paints, then cut it with a Tonic Studios die.  The background dp is from a very old DCWV stack.  No embellishments, nothing to take the focus away from the image; just a very CAS, masculine card.

This is also my Day 17 entry for the
 LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop.

 

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Creatalicious

Creative Crafting ...

Creative Moments

Digi Choosday

I Love ProMarkers

Outlawz Monday

Passion for Markers

Scribbles Designs

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Too Tuckered for Treats

      Remember those early days when the very youngest Trick or Treaters were completely worn out after trekking their way to maybe 5 houses?  This card is a salute to all those intrepid little toddlers who were brave enough to give it a try and who then slept through the night as though they craved sleep more than the sweetest of treats!

     The image was reduced in size from a digital coloring book page, printed in grayscale (along with the sentiment), and colored with ProMarkers.  I used an Unbranded die to cut the image.  The background dp was a scrap from a Memory Makers stack.  I used sparkle ribbon and the bow was hand-tied using satin ribbon.

This is also my Day 16 entry for the
 LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop.

 

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Di's Digi Designs

Lil Patch of ...

Mirtillamente

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Rabisco

There's a Stamp ...

Your Next Stamp

     I hope your weekend has gone well and that you managed to find some relaxing time just for yourself.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Witch's House in the Forest

     This is my second post for today and if you're looking for my QKR Stampede DT post, scroll down one or click HERE.

     I really wish I could remember what artist/company made this image but I didn't write anything on the back to identify it and it's one of those that I found in the "Halloween" folder, waiting to be colored and used.  If anyone can identify it, please let me know so that I can give the artist full credit.

     I used watercolor paints to color the image but used a ProMarker on the roof of the house and another to ink the edges of the image.  I cut it with a die from Tonic Studios.  The sentiment is from one of my LeighSBDesigns sets and I printed it, then used an Avery Elle die to cut it.

     Everything was layered onto an orange card base and I found a scrap of glittered ribbon to make the hand-tied bow.

This is also my Day 15 entry for the
 LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop.

 

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Calendar

Di's Digi Designs

Happy Li'l Stampers

Incy Wincy

Paper Dragonfly

Pattie's Creations

Polkadoodles

There's a Stamp ...

     I'll have another post tomorrow so be sure to come by again.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

If the Broom Fits ...

      Today I'm using another really old digital stamp from my collection of Halloween images.  This one had been printed and placed into a manila folder, waiting to be colored.  The notation on the back said Anji's Antics but when I went looking for the website, it couldn't be found.  Perhaps she closed her site or moved it to another platform.

     I used ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a QuicKutz die.  The two papers making up the background were scraps.  The spider web paper was originally from a Memory Makers stack, and the gray polka dot paper was from a DCWV stack called Midnight Chic.  

     That paper goes back a long, long ways - maybe as much as 10 years.  I fell in love with the Midnight Chic paper, all done in grayscales, some lighter, some very dark, but all delightful.  I remember that I loved them so much, I made a trip back to the store just to buy a second stack of it so that I wouldn't run out too quickly.  I still have more than half of the second stack and maybe a dozen or so sheets left in the first stack.

     The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

This is also my Day 9 entry into the 

LeighSBDesigns 31 Days of Halloween Blog Hop. 

     Challenges:

Bastel-Traum

Country View Crafts

Crafts Galore Encore

Crafty Catz

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creative Inspirations

Creative Moments

LeighSB 31 Days

Mirtillamente

Two Old Bats

     Enjoy your weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Scarecrow Needs a Story

      Today I'm playing with an old, old, who-knows-how-old image which comes from Whimsy Stamps.  It's called Scarecrow and Friend and I don't even know if it's still in their store.  I know I got it more than 5 years ago, maybe longer.  I made it for a new challenge I found several days ago, There's a Stamp for That, and they have 3 concurrent themes for their challenge.  I chose the one about books and/or reading.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image and the mat with dies from Tonic Studios.  The mat was cut from a scrap of dp in the basket.  The books were hand drawn and fussy cut with scissors.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

I Love ProMarkers

Paper Funday

Passion for Markers

Penny's Paper-Crafty

TTCRD

Whimsey Inspiration

Word Art Weds

     That's all for today but check back this weekend for another post.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Autumn Girl

      It's the start of a new challenge at Creative Knockouts and we have a fun & fabulous sponsor, Twinkle Lane Designs, who provided images for the DT to use.  My card features one called Autumn Girl and the sentiment comes with her.  This is an "Anything Goes" theme this time.

     This card actually is for Thanksgiving, the perfect day to celebrate the gorgeous fall colors in the foliage and all of the falling leaves, so it's also getting posted for the "F" day at the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.

      I colored with my ProMarkers, then cut the image with as CUTplorations stitched die.  The sentiment was cut with a QuicKutz die the edges were inked, and I added it to the image piece.  All the papers and even the dry embossed CS pieces are just scraps from the basket.  It's amazing what can be done with little snippets of this and that, so I never throw anything away.  If I don't go through the baskets f scraps regularly, my crafting 'room' becomes 'no room anywhere' and then it's impossible to craft.  lol

     The tiny single leaf was included in the image set so I printed it onto a scrap of paper, trimmed it to size, and added it on the left side.   I hand-sewed one of my signature bows, adding a pearl this time.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

A Perfect Time ...

Art Impressions

Creative Moments

LeAnn's World

Pixie's Snippets

Stamplorations 

Taylormade ...

World Wide Open

     We really want to see you playing along in this challenge so get things lined up and come join us.  With an "Anything Goes" theme, you can't lose.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Playing in the Puddles

      I feel like I've been running behind all month long and when I discovered that I hadn't posted my card for Imagine That ! DOTM yet, I confirmed that feeling.  Sigh...  But here it is and the month isn't over so I'm  good.  :-D

     I loved the whole idea of playing in puddles after the storm, especially because where I live we've had nothing be severe drought and a serious lack of rain for more than 2 years no.  Weather forecasters say we're due for heavy rain this upcoming Monday, and I can only hope that's true.  

     I colored this precious image (called "Lizzy's Umbrella") with ProMarkers and cut it with a Cuts die.  The sentiment is part of the set and I printed it and cut it with a corner punch from Uchida.  I added one of my signature bows with a pearl and mounted everything onto a mango-orange card base.  Very CAS.

     I love coloring critters and use far more critter images then people images but I'm trying to improve my coloring on people so I've begun looking for and using images which combine critters and people.  :-D  To me, coloring fur or feathers is easier than coloring human faces and hair.

      Challenges:

As You Like It

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Cute Card Thurs

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sunflower Bucket

      My stash of Thank You cards is getting low and I have a friend who has asked me to make several for her so I'm ramping up production of them.  I'm starting with this lovely sunflower image from Beccy's Place. 

     I used ProMarkers and gel pens to color and highlight the image.  I had merged the sentiment (also from Beccy's Place) before printing.  After coloring, I cut both of them with a QuicKutz square die and then used a Fiskars punch on three of the corners.  I dry embossed some metallic paper and used it behind the punched corners.

     The sparkly ribbons are both from Really Reasonable Ribbon, and I tied the bow using my bow maker.  I think this will make a perfect Autumn themed thank you card.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Creations

Creative Inspirations

I love ProMarkers

Paperbabe

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Uniko

Word Art Weds

     Wishing you the best of days and have a wonderful weekend.  Hope you find lots of "me" time to craft and relax.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Grateful Piggie

      We're starting a new challenge at Angie's Digital Stamps this morning and the theme is "Anything Goes" (no twist this month.)  This is our last challenge of the year because the DT takes a 2 month break over the holidays.

     I thought this sweet little piggie (Pig Eating from Trough) would be perfect for a Thanksgiving card.  Doesn't he look completely grateful for his holiday corn?  :-D

     I colored him with my ProMarkers and cut the image with a Cottage Cuts stitched die.  I found scraps bits of dp, including the strip of leaves, in my basket, and I think they are all from a DCWV stack.  Although it's difficult t see in the photo, the small leaves along that strip are sparkly and embossed.  I printed my own sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die.  The large leaf is cut from silk and the polka dot bow is hand tied.

I pulled these colors from the photo at

Color My Heart Color Dare #463:

pink, yellow, orange, red, beige, brown + pale blue from shadows on the tree trunks

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Catz

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Pattie's Creations

Simon Says Stamp

TTCRD

     Come play with us since this is our last challenge this year.  We love seeing what you create and also being inspired by your creations.  Since we won't see you in November or December, may I wish you the happiest of holidays now?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Kitties in the Pumpkin Patch

      These adorable kittens, all siblings from the same litter I'm sure, are spending November evening in the pumpkin patch under the full moon.  The image, called "Pumpkin Kitties," is one of the newest releases from Conie Fong and it's on sale for another day or two.  

     I colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut the image with a Die-Namics stitched die.  I layered two of the dp together, then cut them with a CUT-plorations die.  The background dp is from a K & Co. stack.  I added a strip of grosgrain ribbon and tied a triple loop bow, using sheer ribbon from my stash of scraps.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Cute Card Thurs

Creative Fingers

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Scrapping4Fun

TicTacToe

 (Diagonal: Ribbon/ Coloring/ Animal)

Uniko

     Don't forget to come and play in one of our two challenges this month.  We have one for colored Conie Fong images only and a second one for completed projects using Conie Fong images.  Both can be found on the Facebook site.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Mousers (Meow-sers) on the Hunt

      When I saw these two adorable felines over at Kinda Cute, this card idea popped into my head instantly!  So I decided to use them for the monthly progressive challenge on their FB page.  :-D

     I colored them with my ProMarkers and cut the image with a die from Dare 2B Artzy.  I cut another circle with a smaller die from that same set and added the two, tiny, mice cut with Gina Marie dies.  The background dp was a left over from a large piece of scrapbook paper which has been in my stash for longer than I can remember and it was definitely time to use it.  I printed and then cut the sentiment with an Avery Elle die.

     What looks like a strip of polka dot ribbon is actually washi tape, but I used 1/16" satin ribbon to tie the double bow.

     Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Cute Card Thurs

Dare 2B Artzy

I love ProMarkers

Outlawz Greetings

Passion for Markers

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Scrapping4Fun

SUYP Cats

     That's all for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Autumn Leaves

      The DT has had such a long summer break at Jan's Digi Stamps that I'm feeling the need to share some JDS fall images with you.  Autumn is right around the corner and the leaves on my neighborhood trees are already turning bright fall colors and a few have even dropped to the ground.  In a couple more weeks, the rakes will be taken out and everyone will be making big leaf piles perfect for kids who want to jump into them.  Or for adults who just want to share the joyful memories of such times.  Sorry, I'm beyond any jumping into those piles any more but I can dream.  :-D

     I've used this fun image from a JDS set called "Autumn Friends."   I colored with ProMarkers and cut the image with a stitched Die-namics die.  All the papers are scraps left over from other projects.  They were previously cut with dies from Spellbinders and Tonic Studios.   I found a black feather which just seemed to shout "It's Fall!" and I hand-tied the little bow.

I pulled 6 colors from the chart at CMH Color Dare #460

(Smoothie/Canary/Almond/Blue Belle/Pebble/Lilac)

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Crafty Catz

Colour Crazy

Creative Inspirations

Cute Card Thurs

Passion for Markers

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Polkadoodles

Word Art Weds

     Our challenges at Jan's Digi Stamps will begin again in November.  In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Just for You on Halloween

      The latest challenge at Beccy's Place has the usual "Anything Goes" theme but the optional twist this time is to CASE yourself.  When I sat down to do this card, another Halloween card was sitting on my table and I decided to CASE it.  Here's that card:  

and here's my Beccy's card, using an image

from the "Witch Starter Kit":

I was inspired by the colors in this photo from Archiscraps.

      I reversed the diagonal and used a simple rectangle die from QuicKutz to cut the image.  I inked the image edges with  black ProMarker to make it pop from the background.  The striped paper is also from Beccy's (Little Witch set - which may be retired since I don't see it in the store  <----- Edited to add this note from Beccy: The "Little Witch" paper is actually a freebie that you can find on my blog... it comes with the Little Witch free image. ) and the bat paper came from a left over scrap, maker unknown.

     I added a strip of polka dot, orange, washi tape and a strip of lace (which is purple even though it looks almost black!) before layering on the image.  

     Challenges:

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Ike's World

Incy Wincy

Lemon Shortbread

TTCRD

Two Old Bats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Totally Innocent Devil Dragon

      As some of you know (if you visit my blog with any regularity), I have a granddaughter who shares my great love of dragons and I've been using any excuse (birthday, Christmas, Easter, Summer Solstice, start or end of Daylight Savings time, etc.) to send her dragon cards for most of her 22 years now.  Yes, she still loves them even as an adult.  So, this one will be her Halloween card this year.

     It's colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut and embossed with Sue Wilson dies.   The background papers are scraps from a Recollections stack.  The lace strip was in my stash and has been enhanced with suede strips before adhering it diagonally across the card front.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

I was influenced by the sketch at Paperminutes, 

adjusted for a square card.

I did reverse the diagonal line and used a square shape

instead of a circle.

      Challenges:

Cardz TV

Creative Inspirations

Cute Card Thurs

I love ProMarkers

Lemon Shortbread

Outlawz Festive Fri

Polkadoodles

Scrapping4Fun

Two Old Bats

     That's all I have for today but I'm wishing you a great day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie