30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place - Day 1

      Today begins the 30 Days of Holidays over at Beccy's Place and most of us will be making Christmas (or even Thanksgiving) cards but I'm not quite done with Halloween so you may see 2 or 3 of those in the collection of cards this month.  Fortunately, Beccy allows us to make cards for any holiday as long as we follow the alphabetical theme.  Since the first theme is the Letter "A,"  I used my Ohuhu Alcohol markers to color the pumpkin, an image from Beccy's Place.  I also made it an A2 card.

     I cut the image using a QuicKutz die, and cut the kraft frame for it with another die from that same set.  The CS I chose for the card front is a simple, beige, CS from my stash but I used a 'leather' embossing folder to add some texture to it before applying it to the card front.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The bow is brown gingham, hand-tied, and I added it below the pumpkin's 'chin' so that it looked like a bow tie.  :-D.

     Challenges:

Color Dare

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Creative Knockouts

Krafty Chicks

Outlawz Thursday

Pattie's Creations

Simon Says Stamp

     I hope to be able to get a card made for each of the days this month but I'm not sure that will happen.  I have a few days when I'll be out of town and I have no idea if I'll manage to pre-schedule posts for each day I'll be gone but we'll see,

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Emily & Her Penguin

      I've done so much Halloween and autumn/fall this month that I decided it was time for a bit of Christmas.  I chose this Conie Fong image called "Emily and Penguin - Braids" (she also comes with curly hair instead of braids in the same set of images.)  The sentiment is also Conie Fong.

     There's still time to enter the August/September challenge but time is running out quickly.  You really should check out the Conie Fong FB page because, in addition to the challenge, you'll find an adorable freebie!  AND all her images are on sale in September so check out the store, too.

     I used water colors on the image, then cut it with a die from Tattered Lace.  The shaped card was cut with another Tattered Lace die and the front is embossed with snowflakes.  The gingham bow was hand-tied and added to the card front.  Pretty CAS for a Christmas card.  

     Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

Double Trouble

Happy Li'l Stamper

Kerst Christmas

Rabisco

Rudolf Days

Simon Says Stamp

Sparkles Christmas

     That's all I have for today but check back tomorrow - I think I'll have another card finished by then.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Decoration Day

      When I was a child, my mother always talked about "Decoration Day" in the same tones one used to say "Valentines" or "Fourth of July."  I actually thought there was a national holiday called "Decoration Day."  Once I attained adulthood and she was no longer responsible for birthday celebrations for her children, I learned that "Decoration Day" meant the day she set aside to bake and decorate the birthday cakes for the celebrations.  lol

     This image from House Mouse brings back those childhood memories.  I used ProMarkers on the image, then cut it with a Tonic Studios die.  The two layers of dp scraps were also cut with dies from Tonic Studios.  The dark, sparkly background was done using DCWV card stock on the front before adding the 3 layers in the image piece and the additional 2 layers in the sentiment piece.  I added a hand-tied, gingham bow as the final touch.

     One more card for the birthday card stash which will get used for a grandchild this fall.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Creative Fingers

Happy Little Stampers

I Love ProMarkers

Outlawz Greetings

PIP

Rabisco

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bunny Tale

      This image harkens back a couple of years to when I lost my entire collection of digital images (nearly 10,000 of them gathered over a decade) due to a flash drive crash, and a dear friend took the time to print or stamp images and snail mail them to me so that I'd continue making cards.  She was so afraid I'd give it up.  I did spend a lot of time thinking about how much it would cost to replace all of those but instead I simply started collecting new images.

     Anyway, this is one she sent me which I simply never used.  (I still have probably 15 or 20 in the folder waiting to be colored and used.)  Unfortunately, when she sent them, she didn't give me any information as to what company or artist made the image but if anybody knows and can identify this one for me, I'll gladly edit this post and give full credit to the artist.

     I colored this one using both ProMarkers and pencils.  Once colored, I used a die from Spellbinders to cut the image.  The plaid papers are from a Lawn Fawn stack.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die, then matted with a tiny scrap of the blue plaid dp.  The gingham bow was hand-tied.

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Colour Crazy

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Pattie's Creations

Polkadoodles

Taylormade ...

     Have yourself a great weekend, and be sure to find some time for yourself.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Easter Bunny Gnome

      I'm sharing another image from @Conie Fong, this one from the Easter Bunny Gnome set.  There are several images in the set and a couple of sentiments.  Not only is this a darling gnome, all the bunnies are precious in their own right and could easily be used for any 'bunny' occasion apart from Easter.  :-D  Check out our challenges this month.  There's still almost a week to go before they end.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image with a die from Dare 2B Artzy.  I ran a scrap of aqua CS through my Linen EF and attached that to the card front.  The glittery, silver strip was another scrap from the basket and I hand-tied the bow using gingham ribbon.

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Colour Crazy

Colouring in Scrapland

Crafty Catz

Dare 2B Artzy

Dream Valley

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Simon Says Stamp

Your Next Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Wishes

      A new weekly challenge is starting over at Creative Knockouts today and our theme is "Lots of Layers."  Our sponsor is the wonderful Hetty Clare and I used an adorable image called "Macdoodle Dog."  

     I used my ProMarkers to color the image, then cut it with a CUTplorations die.  I added shiny highlights on the balloons with a white gel pen.  Everything else on the card was made from scraps!  I cut 2 tags, one purple and the other yellow, then cut the sentiment out of the purple one with a Dove Craft die (a gift from a dear friend in the UK.  :-D)  I layered the yellow tag behind the purple one and, voila', a bright sentiment peeking through the dark purple!  

     The fancy frame around the whole card front was a leftover which had been cut with a Spellbinders die.  I added the image to it with part of the image behind the frame piece but with one corner peeking out.  I used a scrap of gingham ribbon to make a double layer bowtie and layered everything onto an aqua card base.

     Challenges:

Allsorts

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Ike's World

Incy Wincy

Outlawz Tues

Paperbabe

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

TTCRD

     Come play with us this week, won't you?  Just put together any kind of design and, if you want, add some layers to it, then enter it into our challenge.  We love being inspired by you and you might win some of Hetty Clare's sweet image.  Go check out her Etsy store if you're not familiar with her art work.  You'll fall in love and then you'll definitely want to play in our challenge.  :-D

 

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Love Potion

      Good morning, again.  This is my 3rd post for today so be sure to scroll down for the other two if you came here first.  This is my post sharing my DT card for the first of our two February challenges at QKR Stampede.  My card actually has an image from Eureka Stamps, our sister company.  It's called "A Love Potion."  I wanted something I could use on a really simple, CAS design for a masculine Valentine.

Capital letters colored w ProMarkers

Edges inked w ProMarkers

Gingham ribbon

Hand-tied gingham bow

     Challenges:

A Bit More Time...

Cooking Up Creations

Crafter's Castle

Crafts Galore Encore

Digi Doodle Studios

House that Stamps Built

Lemon Shortbread

Simon Says Stamp

Splashy Mix

Word Art Weds

     Don't forget about our QKR Stampede challenge in the midst of all the other challenge which start on the first of the month.  We always have an "Anything Goes" theme.  You can use any image from any company but if you chose an image from QKR (or Eureka), your entry goes into a completely separate draw and that increases your chances of winning by a huge amount!  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Welcome, Baby!

     Good Saturday morning, my friends!  I'm so excited to share with you my next DT card for Conie Fong   It's a card for a new baby and we're going to have one of those in our family this summer.  :-D  I'm so excited!!  The image is called "Baby Ellie."

I also want to tell you about a fun "challenge-yourself" idea being promoted by my blogging buddy, V.  It's called "Just Stash January" and it involves using nothing but things already in your stash throughout the entire month of January!  There are a few reasonable exceptions (all of which mean that no money has come out of your pocket) and you can read about those on her post.  Just click on the link and find out all about it, then start counting those coins and bills you'll be 'stashing' in your pocket this month instead of crying about even more charges on the credit cards after the holiday season.  :-D  Everything on this card came from the stash. 

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w Unbranded die

Card front embossed w "Linen" EF

Gingham bow - hand-tied

Sentiment printed & cut w Avery Elle die

     Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge

Allsorts

Aud Sentiments

Cardz TV

Colour Crazy

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Cute Card Thurs

Outlawz PAM

     Come play with us this month.  There are always 2 challenges at Conie Fong's every month; one for just coloring one of her images and the other for finished projects with a Conie Fong image. Hope to ee you there.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Penguins & the Christmas Moon

      We have another new recipe over at our Crafty Chefs FB page and this is the card I've done following it.  Carol gave us the recipe this month and, while you can check it out on the site, I'll also give it to you right after I show you my card.  The penguins & moon are from SheepSki Designs.

Recipe:

MUST DO:  

Add a tag, Make a pocket, Use analogous colors (next to each other on the color wheel), Use a die

CAN DO:

Mirror CS, Charm, Stitching

I did all of the MUST DO and did Stitching from the CAN DO list.

Here's another photo showing how I used the pocket and tag for the sentiment.

Colors were pulled from My Favorite Things.

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w QuicKutz octagon die

Red frame cut w QuicKutz

Moon, pocket piece, & tag cut w Spellbinders

Faux stitching done w gel pens

Soft twine for the tag

Gingham ribbon for the bow

     Challenges:

2 Sisters on Blog (Diagonal: Bottom left to Top right)

Arty Divas

Colour It, Create It...

Craft-Dee Bowz

Crafter's Cafe

Crafty Animals

Dies R Us

Winter Wonderland

     Don't forget that Crafty Chefs is open to anyone who would care to join in and stretch their comfort zone a little bit.  Hope to see you over there.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cats Sleep Anywhere

     Today I have the honor of being a Guest Designer for the Songs and Rhymes Challenge at The Outlawz.  Each challenge runs for two weeks and uses song lyrics or a poem as the theme for each challenge.  The challenge starting today is using this delightful poem which is all about cats - right up my alley!

Cats Sleep, Anywhere - Eleanor Farjeon

Cats sleep, anywhere,

Any table, any chair

Top of piano, window-ledge,

In the middle, on the edge,

Open drawer, empty shoe,

Anybody's lap will do,

Fitted in a cardboard box,

In the cupboard, with your frocks-

Anywhere! They don't care!

Cats sleep anywhere.

     The sponsor for this challenge is Bugaboo Stamps and I've merged two Bugaboo images to make this card.

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut w QuicKutz die & edges inked

Paper is a DCWV scrap, embossed

Blue CS embossed w Swiss Dots EF

Hand-tied, gingham bow

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Catch the Bug

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Friends

Crafty Sentiments

Creative Inspirations

Cute Card Thurs

Digi Choosday

SUYP Cats

Word Art Weds

     I hope you'll come and play with us in this challenge.  Not a member of The Outlawz?  It's quick and easy to join, and it's free!         :-D  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sleeping Dragon

     It's time for the next Progressive Challenge at Limited Runs and this time we get to work with this delightful sleeping dragon, which my granddaughter will love!  I decided to use my favorite color combo of purple and aqua.  Everything on this card was made from scraps, including the CS on which the image was printed.

Inspired by the sketch at Sweet Sketch Weds, 

flipped top to bottom.

Colored w/ ProMarkers & glitter
Cut w/ Dare2BArtzy die
Oval die from QuicKutz
Rounded corners cut w/ Fiskars punch
White ribbon Really Reasonable Ribbon
Gingham bow, hand-tied
Papers = scraps from the basket
Sentiment printed, hand cut, & matted

     Challenges:
Arty Divas
Crafty Friends
Crafty Sentiments
Dare 2B Artzy
Digi Choosday
Dragonfly Dreams
Lil Patch of ...
Passion for ProMarkers

     Have yourself a great weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Dragon's Flower

     Today I'm featuring my favorite color combo - purple and anything!  Why?  Purple is my favorite color and I know it goes well with turquoise, green, pink, yellow, orange, and neutrals such as white and tan.  It's just so versatile.

I was inspired by the color inspiration at Paper Girls.

Image colored with ProMarkers
Die cut with Spellbinders die
Bleached CS cut with Spellbinders die
Lace
Stacked bows with gingham on top
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Art Impressions
As You Like It
Cutie Pie
Dream Valley
Scrappy Land
Simon Says Stamp & Show
   (stacked bows & Spellbinders)
Southern Girls
Word Art Weds.

     That's all I have for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie