Patch & Gretta - Gnome Admirers

       After a long hiatus from Pattie's Creations, I'm happy to announce that I'm back on the DT!  Our challenges are now monthly, starting on the first Friday of each month and ending on the Thursday before the next challenge starts.  We do encourage you to use Pattie's Creations images on your projects but images from other companies are allowed.  You can find a Freebie !! posted with each challenge and you are free to use it for your entry but that's not required.  In 2022, our theme is going to be "Anything Goes" for every challenge.  

     I combined two of Pattie's gnome images for this card; Patch the Gnome and Gretta the Gnome.  I thought they worked as a cute friendship couple for Valentine's Day.  Although I made a ton of Valentine cards this year because I have a craft fair just 2 days before Valentine's Day, I generally make only a few each year, much preferring friendship to love cards.  After all, I have many more friends than lovers!  :-D

     The images are colored with my ProMarkers, and cut with a Tonic Studios scalloped die.  I used my Linen embossing folder on the red card front before applying the image piece.  I used a Memory Box die for the heart and a die from Marianne Design for the red bow.  Those were also embossed with the Linen EF before I added them.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Bastel-Traum

Creatalicious

Dies R Us

Digi Doodle Studios

Outlawz Stash

SheepSki Designs

       I'm so happy to be back with Pattie's Creations and I hope you'll come play in our Anything Goes challenges each month.  We love being inspired by you.  Be sure to stop by the challenge blog and grab the freebie for this month.  It's only there while the challenge is ongoing.  Happy Crafting.   NanaConnie

Roses for You

      I was lucky enough to be a challenge winner last week and the challenge was sponsored by Artsy Stamper.  I  chose a set of images called Vintage Birds and Roses and used this one to make a Valentine card for a friend who loves green and gold as a color combo.  Her birthday just happens to fall on Valentine's Day so I've used her favorite colors.  Roses are perfect for a Valentine card regardless of the colors.

      I actually love making Valentine cards for friends more than for a special sweetie since I have many more friends than sweethearts.  Besides, for friends I can change the color combos instead of having to use the traditional red/pink/white of Valentine cards and nobody questions it!  :-D

     When I printed this digi image, I first chose one of the pre-colored versions, then turned it into a grayscale image before printing it.  I'm getting more and more experience with this technique and have even learned that with my MS Word software, I can lighten or darken the grayscale which gives me more or less shading before I color it myself.

Colored w ProMarkers

Image & frame cut w Spellbinders dies

Plaid dp was a scrap

White, pearl CS embossed w Wild Roses EF (Darice)

Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die

Sheer, hand-tied, gold bow 

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Aud Sentiments

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Cute Card Thurs

Pattie's Creations

Scrapping4Fun

     Happy Crafting, my friends.  NanaConnie

Thankful for Your Friendship

      I wanted to do another autumn card for the midway reminder of our monthly challenge at Jan's Digi Stamps.  This image is a secondary image from the Autumn Friends set and the sentiment is from that same set.  The basket of leaves is merged with the rake and sentiment.  They are three separate items within the set.

     I made this a lengthwise, easel card, and the inside sentiment is the 'stopper' and I think  it's a perfect way to tell a friend how thankful I am for their friendship.  :-D

Colored w ProMarkers

Chalks used to 'sponge' the borders

Card front is embossed with leaf EF

     Challenges:

Art Impressions

Crafty Sentiments

Dare 2B Artzy

Digi Choosday

Double Trouble (center column)

House that Stamps Built

Paper Funday

Polkadoodles

Scrapping4Fun

TTCRD

     Happy crafting and don't forget to come  and play with us this month.  NanaConnie

Crafty-holics!

     This was such a quick card, due mostly to the Art Impressions image being made into a sticker for easy assembly of the card.  The card base is pink CS, the purple ribbon is from  Really Reasonable Ribbon, and the bow was hand-tied using a bow maker.

     I know these ladies are having the time of their lives!   It makes me miss my crafting group horribly and I can't wait until we can all get together again.  I remember when the lock down started and we cancelled the first meeting, then the second, and finally we were saying, "Well, we'll try for the first week next month" and that was nearly 6 months ago!  We're all feeling like we've been imprisoned and penalized just because we breathe.  :-(

     And to think this is what we did for fun on all the hottest days of summer when staying inside in the air conditioning was the thing we desired most.  There were times when we'd meet 3 days in a row just to share the cool air and friendship of crafting together.  

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspirations

Creative Knockouts

Double Trouble

Lemon Shortbread

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

Paperbabe

Simon Says Stamp

     Find some fun in your life whether or not you need air conditioning today.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Puppy Love from Digi Doodle Studios

     My next DT card as a reminder that our challenge at Digi Doodle Studios is still open and you have time to play.  Our theme for February is all about Love & Friendship and this time I used an adorable image called "Puppy Love" for my card.

I was influenced by Sketch 176 at Sweet Sketch Weds.

Colored with ProMarkers & pencil
Image and mat cut with QuicKutz octagon dies
Background scored with ScorPal board
Sheer ribbon and signature bow w pearl
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
Creative Inspirations
Cuttlebug Mania
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
Southern Girls
TTCRD
Word Art Weds.

    Come join our challenge or visit us on Facebook.  We'd love to see you enter the challenge.  Happy Crafting.   NanaConnie

Gracie & Nibbles

     I'm so tickled to announce that after having served last month as a Guest Designer for Digi Doodle Studios, I've been invited to be part of the DT!  I'm thrilled and have fallen in love with all of Dina's sweet images.  I can hardly wait to share with you what I've done with them as time moves along.  :-D

     Here's my first card as a DT for the challenge which begins today, with a theme of "It's a Love Thing."  I used a darling image called "Gracie & Nibbles" which is perfect for another Valentine card to add to my stash.

This is a fancy fold card and here's how it looks with the top flap open:

     The card base is a triangle, cut on the diagonal across a full sheet of CS, 11 x 8.5 inches.  The points are scored to make an A2 size card, 5.5 x 4.25 inches, when folded.  I used my Scor-Pal to get perfectly straight score lines.  I added the rectangle of white CS to the inside which can be used for writing the message.

Colored with ProMarkers

Image is fussy cut with scissors

Circle cut with QuicKutz die

Pink satin bow is hand tied and stitched

Colors from the inspiration at Color My Heart.

     Challenges:

Crafty Sentiments

Cute Card Thurs

Cuttlebug Mania

Passion for ProMarkers

Scrappy Land

Simon Says Stamp & Show

SUYP Cats

Time Out

Your Next Stamp

     Happy Crafting and come share your creations with us in our "It's a Love Thing" challenge.  NanaConnie

Tea 4 Two

     My card today is a salute to love and friendship expressed with the warmth of a cozy tea time.  For you golfers, that's TEA time, not tee time!  I used a delightful image from Conie Fong and decided to put the emphasis on the hearts by doing everything in gray scale except for the red hearts.  I love the overall effect of it.

I based the card design on this sketch from

Sweet Sketch Weds.

Colored with ProMarkers and #2 pencil
Image cut with Spellbinders die adjusted to fit
Quilt die from Gina Marie
Papers in 'quilt' are DCWV; embossed and sparkly
Hand sewn ribbon for bow
Sentiment done w/ red heat embossing

     Challenges:
A Bit More Time ...
Country View Crafts
Creatalicious
Dies R Us
House that Stamps Built  (middle row)
I {heart} ProMarkers
Paper Funday
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp

    Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Wanna Be Friends?

     I decided to do a second, but very quick, post today because I adore this image and the card.  The image is this week's Friday Freebie from Bugaboo Stamps and I colored both grass and sky to turn it into a scene.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a framing die from Spellbinders.  I cut the mat with a larger die from that same set.   The background paper was made with watercolors.

     I printed, hand cut, and matted the sentiment, then tied a bow tie using my bow maker.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Allsorts
Catch the Bug
Coloring in Scrapland
Crafty Calendar
Dream Valley
Jo's Scrap Shack
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp
TTCRD

     That's it for today.  Enjoy the remainder of your weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Friendship

     The biggest difference between family and friends is that we get to choose our friends!  And the best friends are the ones who support and encourage us as we strive to meet our goals.  I love this image from Sasayaki Glitter which gives a whole different slant to the word "support!"

     I used ProMarkers to color the image, then fussy cut it with a craft knife.  I haven't cut with a craft knife in so long that I'd almost forgotten how to do it but I persisted and it turned out fine.

     I dug through my scrap stash, found the fancy die cut oval (Spellbinders), and decided that it made a perfect background for the kittens.  I mounted them onto dimensional dots and then added it to the oval.

     I put that piece onto confetti CS, added the printed sentiment, and called it finished!  Another of my CAS cards good for a guy or a gal.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Creates and Makes
Cupcake Inspirations
Cutie Pie
Digi Choosday
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
SUYP Cats
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Friendship Card for September Card Chain

     Each month, I participate in the Card Chain Challenge and this is the one I mailed off to my recipient in September.

     No coloring this time, just die cuts.  The butterfly cut was done with a die from Die-namites and the "Hello" sentiment came from a Poppy Stamps die.  The two corner flourishes were cut from the outer edges of the butterfly die cut.

     The card base is actually white but I covered the card front with metallic purple paper which looks great in real life but gives a terrible (and impossible to avoid) glare when trying to photograph it.  :-D

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps & More
Butterfly Challenge (purple quartz)
Hiding in My Craft Room
Inspiration Destination
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Sisterhood of Crafters

     Short post today but it's  been a really busy weekend and the upcoming week isn't going to be much better.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Little Hello

     I'm assuming that little mice would say little "hellos", don't you agree?

I started with the inspiration photo from Lawn Fawnatics

for my colors.  Bright colors are my favorites for anything summer.

     The image is from Toadstool Printables and I colored it with ProMarkers before cutting it with a stitched die from Lawn Fawn.  The sentiment was also cut with a Lawn Fawn die but I had to adjust a square die so that it cut a rectangle.  I love being able to use dies in ways they weren't originally designed.

     I inked the edges of the image, then found a scrap of red polka dot dp (Stampin' Up) and adhered it directly to the card front, then layered on the image piece.  A polka dot bow was all I needed to finish this CAS card.

     Challenges:
Crafting from the Heart
Creative Inspirations
Get Creative
I {heart} ProMarkers
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Sweet Stampers
Word Art Weds.

     I'm still on target for doing a card each day for the week-long, Christmas-in-July daily challenges at Catch the Bug so stop back later today for my post about that card.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Friendships

      I have had such a hectic week this past week that I completely forgot to post my card I did for the Card Chain Challenge in April.  I was supposed to post on  May 2 when they did the big reveal of who sent what to whom but that whole day escaped me.  Maybe it was because I didn't have my post written and pre-scheduled, and the card had already been mailed so it wasn't in the stack of cards to be posted.  In any case, here it is, late but not completely forgotten.

     We had options of using any of the things shown below and I think I managed all four:

Color Palette  

OR Sketch  

OR a theme of: Fruit&Vegetables or Rabbits or Friendship 

OR One of the following products: Perfect Pearls/Die Cuts/Stencils and Embossing Paste.  I managed to do all four.

     I hand colored the image with my ProMarkers, hand cut it and the mat, then used a Spellbinders die to cut the "fish tail" in the beige CS behind the image.  My blogger friend, Christi, (see her blog post with instructions HERE) showed me how to make that kind of cut.  Thanks, Christi.

     A little ribbon, a few glittery flowers and it was ready to mail.

     Challenges:
Aurora Wings
Crafting by Designs
Crafting from the Heart
Creates and Makes
Creative Moments
Fab n' Funky
House that Stamps Built
{PIN}spirational
Word Art Weds.   

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Salute to Friendships

     The newest monthly Outlawz Progressive Freebie challenge started a few days ago and I'm getting my card in early this month!  The freebie image came from Bugaboo Stamps and I love their images which focus on the sentiment.  They are always so lovely.

     This time all my coloring is done with chalks, applied with a cotton swab.  I used two shades of blue for the sky, one shade of each of the other colors (pink, green, and yellow.)  After the coloring, I cut it with a die from Spellbinders and backed that with burnt umber dp - a left over scrap just the right size.

     I mounted that onto ombre CS and used that as the card front.  I added some sparkly, metallic twine and left it very CAS.

     Challenges:
613 Avenue Create
Butterfly Challenge
Catch the Bug
Chalk n Stock
Crafty Addicts
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Moments
Inky Chicks
Lemon Shortbread
Time Out

     Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie