Pumpkin Patch

     Another Friday and another "Anything Goes" challenge begins at Crafty Catz this week.  Remember, in addition to the theme, we offer you the OPTION of a twist if you choose to use it and this week that twist is "Lots of Layers."  Our sponsor this week is Beccy's Place and, while Beccy generously provided images for the team to use, I pulled the ones I used from my own very extensive collection of Beccy's Place images.  

     Although I looked long and hard, I couldn't find the set in the store so it's possible they were retired.  But the set was called "Pumpkin Patch" and it contained both images called Pumpkin Patch Jack and Pumpkin Days.  The sentiment came from a set called Pumpkin Patch.  

     I colored the main pumpkin stack with Sanjoki markers and fussy cut him.  The sentiment was printed and also fussy cut.  The row of pumpkins in the background were colored with pencils and markers, then fussy cut with scissors.

     The black layer is a die cut using  a reverse scallop die from QuicKutz and everything is mounted on dimensional dots, then layered onto a kraft card base.     

I based the card layout on the sketch from Cheerful Sketches, reversed.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Carlin's Card ... (Layers)

Classic Design

Crafting Challenge

Creative Knockouts

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

SheepSki Designs

     We really want to see you playing along this week so get something made and enter it into our challenge.  Remember, you can do lots of layers if you want but you can also just enter under the "Anything Goes" theme.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Beccy's Place - "D"

      Yes, I know this one is out of order since I did Letter "E" yesterday but I finished yesterday's card before I got this one done.  Besides, keeping things completely alphabetical only matters if you're a librarian or a file clerk.  I'm neither, plus I'm retired so I can do it any way I like!  lol  This is for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place.

     I followed another of Beccy's fabulous (and easy to follow) tutorials, this time for a Diamond Point card fold.  You can find it in the long, (long, long!) list of Beccy's Tutorials on her blog.  Just search by alphabetical order!  The card also has these "D"s: Decorations, Decorating, Diagonals, Deep red, Digital stamp, Die cutting, and Dimension.

     I used a pre-colored image, added glitter to each of the lights on the string decorating the giraffe (whose name is "Merle"), to the star over his head, to the Christmas ball hanging from his tail, and to hiss Santa stocking.  Merle was cut with a QuicKutz die.  The sentiment is also from Beccy's Place, and I printed and fussy cut it.  I matted it with a scrap of the same dp which is on the pieces behind the image (those are scraps, too), and trimmed that with scissors to fit the space.

     Challenges:

A Vintage Christmas

Ally's Angels

Bastel-Traum

Colorful Options

Crafty Catz

Creative Inspirations

Happy Li'l Stampers

Pammie's IP

     See you with another 30 Days of Holidays post tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A New Home

      A new, weekly challenge just started at Creative Knockouts and our theme is "Lots of Layers."  We're sponsored by Twinkle Lane Designs and they are offering a gift certificate as the prize.  You can go to their online shop and buy some really adorable images with it.  :-D

     They generously provided images for the DT to use and I chose "Toadstool Homes."  I am perfectly certain that gnomes and fairies must live in them.  I colored with a combination of ProMarkers and polychromos pencils, then cut the image & the frame with dies from QuicKutz.  Using dies to cut images and frames is probably my favorite card making technique.  I used a Fiskars punch on the corners.  

     The sentiment circle was cut with a Dare 2B Artzy die.  The large bow was made with 1 inch wide, grosgrain ribbon.  Even though the card has 4 distinct layers of CS, plus the bow, I tried for a relatively CAS design to really showcase the image.

     Challenges:

4-Season

Allsorts

Clever Dexter

Die Cut Divas

Digi Choosday

LeAnn's World

Morgan's Art World

Passion for Markers

     Come and play in our challenge.  Layer up  card and enter it before the week runs out!  

Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cross Stitch Love

     Nothing cuter than House Mousies and these three are totally adorable!  I tried something new on this card.  Since I was lucky enough to win one of the House Mouse challenges and wouldn't have to spend any money (thereby keeping with the "Just Stash January" commitment - see paragraph below), I ordered a set of their 3D card kits which I've never used before.  

     It takes the old fashioned fussy cutting and layering of images to get a great card with lots of layers and dimension, so very time consuming but wonderful fun!   Here's a perfect Valentine card.

     I'm following a great "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 above to 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! 

Bottom layer of image cut with Tutti Designs die

All other layers cut w scissors

     2 layers of cross stitch and stitching mouse

     1 additional layer of 2 other mice

     2 layers of scissors

     3 layers of embroidery threads

Sentiment cut w scissors

All layers put onto red card base

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Inspirations

House that Stamps Built

Incy Wincy

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz PAM

Scrapping4Fun

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sparkling Christmas

      Here's the third of those 4 Christmas cards I made using the Nativity die from Cheapo Dies.  This one I did cutting silver glitter paper and using embossed backgrounds in classic red and green.  The sentiment die is from Die-Versions and the red CS is also punched on the corners with a Fiskars punch.  Once the cutting/embossing was done, it took less than 5 minutes to put it together.

     Challenges:

All Fun

Allsorts

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Friends

Crafty Hazelnut's

Creative Knockouts

Cardz TV

Lil Patch of...

Outlawz Festive Fri

Polkadoodles

     Short post but the card was fast and simple so the post should be also.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Mountain Columbine in Lavender

     I'm guest designing for The Outlawz Twisted Thursday challenge again and the optional twist on the challenge is to "use one of the sponsor's images."  The sponsor for April is STAMPlorations and I used one of their beautiful floral stamps, "Columbine." 

     I colored this one by looking at a photograph of an actual columbine flower.  Although they come in many different colors, including yellow and red, for me the lavender ones are the best because any shade of purple is my favorite.  Purples are my happy colors!  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Image cut with Spellbinders die.
Die cut behind the image is also Spellbinders
Sparkle ribbon strip is Really Reasonable Ribbon
Sheer ribbon bow tied with bow maker
Everything is laid on grape CS

     Challenges:
Allsorts
CCC Digi Creations
Cardz TV
Crafter's Cafe
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
Dies R Us
Double D
Paper Shelter
Simon Says Stamp

     Come play with us.  The challenge runs for 2 weeks so lots of time.  If you're not a member of the Outlawz, you can join free and they have new challenges that run for 2 weeks on each day of the week plus 2 monthly challenges.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Spring Beauty

     Here's another card I've done as a Guest Designer for Conie Fong.   This image is called "Braid in My Hair."  I just had to do it in my favorite purples and lavenders.  :-D  I also layered several frame die cuts to make my own background for the image.

I played a bit with Sketch 177 from Sweet Sketch Weds.

but that was my take on this sketch.

Colored with ProMarkers and gel inks
Fussy cut with scissors
Layered frames cut with Spellbinders dies
Dry embossing on layered frames
Sentiment printed and hand cut
Hand sewn bow w/ pearl
Kraft card base

     Challenges:
Crafty Creations
Creative Inspirations
Digi Choosday
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Ike's World
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown
Word Art Weds.

     Enjoy your week and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Always More Marshmallows!

     It's time for a BINGO challenge at Catch the Bug and I used the first diagonal: snowflake/ Bugaboo Image/ ribbon.  Since it's hard to have snowflakes without cold, winter weather, and since snowflakes combine to make snowmen, this card is done using chilly colors of ice blue, light lavender, and aqua. 

     I love this Bugaboo snowman with his warm mug of cocoa and extra marshmallows.  Hot cocoa is wonderful when it's cold but cocoa with marshmallows is always better and the more marshmallows, the better.  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Spellbinders die
Blue snowflakes cut with AI dies
Top 2 layers of dp cut with QuicKutz dies
Papers from Doodlebug
Wide grosgrain ribbon used for bow
Bow was white but 'dyed' with ProMarker
Sentiment from Bugaboo hand cut

     Challenges:
Coloring in Scrapland
Crafty Friends
Crafty Gals Corner
Crafty Hazelnut's
Creatalicious
Cuttlebug Mania
Dare 2B Artsy
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz PAM
Papercraft

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Digi Doodle Studio Guest Designer !

     I'm so excited to be a Guest Designer at Digi Doodle Studios this month and my card is being featured today on their FB page.  :-D  The image I used is called "Cocoa's Snowballs for Sale" and I think it's one of the most adorable little snowmen I've seen.  It's new and I fell in love the instant I saw it.

     Doesn't this remind you of every childhood snowball fight you ever joined? 

Colored with ProMarkers
Glitter added to snowflake on his cap
Image and kraft frame cut with QuicKutz die
Polka dot dp cut with Spellbinders die
Sentiment printed, hand cut, matted & hand cut again
Silver snowflake embellie

     Challenges:
Crafty Creations
Creative Inspirations
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
House that Stamps Built
Paper Shelter
Scrapy Land
Simon Says Stamp
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 14, Letter "L" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     Day 14 and today we get to use the letter "L" on our cards for the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place.    I've used a sweet image with Lambs around the manger which holds the Lamb of God.  I also did Lots of Layers and used a Beccy's sentiment - "Let us adore Him."

Colored with ProMarkers
Glitter added to halo
Die cut with stitched die (Die-namics)
Gold sparkle paper from Recollections (Unbranded die)
Blue CS cut with pinpoint die from Memory Box
Stitched ribbon from Crafty Ribbons
White card base
3 layers on the sentiment (unbranded dies)
A total of 8 layers including the card base

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
C.R.A.F.T.
Cute Card Thurs
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Paperbabe Stamps
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Take It, Make It
Time Out

     Have a great day and find some crafting time.  It'll strengthen your spirit.  :-)  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Little Bear's Gift

     I just adore the freebie image from Limited Runs for this month's Progressive Challenge.   It's an adorable little bear with  his arms open.  I thought he looked like he should be holding something and my thought was maybe a big bouquet of mums all done in lovely fall colors.  But every fall bouquet I tried just covered up his face and arm so I downsized my idea to a couple of roses wrapped in paper and it worked perfectly!

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and both frames cut with Tonic Studio dies (from scraps)
Roses - fussy cut
Ribbons - scraps from the bin
Sentiment printed and fussy cut - matted with scrap CS
Signature bow with pearl

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Crafty Calendar
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Paperbabe Stamps
Pixie's Snippets
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Purple Winter Silhouette

     I tried something new with this card and I'm very pleased with the end result.  I mixed water coloring and heat embossing with a silhouette image.

      I started with watercolor paper, painting it with purple to make the ombre background.sky.  After letting that dry and ironing it flat (because it had curled from the water), I printed the Silhouette Scene image (Digi Set 493b) from Sparkle N Sprinkle.  I drew around the image with a Versa-Mark pen and heat embossed it with matte, smoke gray EP.  After it was set, I drew around that with the Versa-Mark pen again and used white EP to make another border.  I cut the image by hand just outside the white, embossed border.

     The sentiment (part of that same set) is printed and cut with an Unbranded die.  I mounted both of those pieces onto black CS, then added the three tiny gems in the diagonal corners.  I wanted to pop out the lavender sky so I chose a purple card base and added a scrap of dp across the top.  Once I adhered the black CS piece with the image, it really pulled the lavender and purple to the fore.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafting with Friends
Crafty Sentiments Designs
Get Creative
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Polkadoodles
Sparkle n Sprinkle
Words to Craft By

     That's it for today and maybe for a few more days before I can manage to post again.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tilda's Presents

     This is my second post for the day and I'll have another one in a few more hours.  This one is for the challenge at Simply Magnolia and I'm using one of my Tilda stamps to celebrate Christmas.  You'll probably see me posting Christmas cards every day from now until Christmas because that's about all I've made for the last 5 weeks and I still need many more.

     I started by choosing the papers I wanted to use on this and they are all from Paper Pizzazz.  Once I had those chosen, I could select the ProMarker colors I wanted and get the image colored.  I cut the image and the three layers beneath her with Tonic Studio dies.

     The red ribbon with the white snowflakes was in my Christmas stash and I honestly don't remember where I got it.  I printed and hand cut the sentiment and mounted it on top of the ribbon.  The leaves were cut with a die from Cheery Lynn (my first ever Cheery Lynn die!) and I added loose glitter to the leaves.  The little red dots on the leaves and on the hand-sewn bow were hand punched and added as 'holly berries.'   Everything went onto a kraft card base.

     Challenges:
Cupcake Inspirations

Fussy and Fancy
Incy Wincy
Magnolia-licious
Outlawz Greetings
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Polkadoodles
Winter Wonderland

     Don't forget, there will be one more post today so be sure to check back later.  If you're looking for the post for 2 Crafty Critter Crazies, just scroll down one post.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

When Cuddling is Needed

     Day 5 of the Cat Lovers hop and I have to share with you what happens when one of the fur-babies needs a cuddle and I'm busy doing something.  I get this kind of stare - usually from the desk or craft table closest to where I am.

     If I don't respond within an appropriate amount of time (their calculation as to how much time, not mine) I get a paw on my shoulder or arm.  If that doesn't get the desired response from me, then they move closer and I get cat whiskers on my cheek and breathing in my ear, accompanied by a few judiciously rendered yowls of disapproval at being ignored!

     I colored with pencils and ProMarkers, then cut the image with plain, square die from Spellbinders.  Both the green paper and the black CS were scraps from my stash and I mounted everything onto a kraft card base.  I added one strand of green jute cord and called it finished.  I really wanted that cat stare to be the focus of the card.

     Challenges:
Ike's World
LeAnn's World 101
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Penny's Paper Crafty
Scrappy Land
SUYP Cats

     That's the last for today but I may have a double post again tomorrow.  It will depend on what I get done this afternoon.  I've had one ready for a few days now that will get posted and we'll have to wait to see if the other one also is ready.  Until then, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Lantern

     Assuming Beccy doesn't throw us another curve, today should be the letter "L" in the Month of Holidays at Beccy's Place.  I chose a Christmas Lantern from Beccy's store and did a sentiment which has lots of other "L"s in it.  :-D

     I was thinking about candles or other Lights being left in windows as a way of welcoming those who are returning home after an absence.  That was connected to the idea of Love for the person returning so all of those ideas went into the sentiment.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers, specifically using Lemon yellow for the Lamplight from the Lantern.  I cut it with a Link-edge Oval (Unbranded die.)

     I decided that doing Layers would be a Lovely design idea so I started with a Lemon colored card base, Layered on a Lattice die cut (Memory Box) and added a Layer of burlap fabric on top of that.  Finally, I added the image, the sentiment, and one of my hand sewn bows.

     Challenges:
Beccy's Place
Crafty Creations
Dream Valley
Get Creative
Glitter n Sparkle
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Kraftin' Kimmie
Passion for ProMarkers
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Scrappy Land

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie  

Bringing Dessert for Thanksgiving

     I found this delightful, pre-colored, image on Dearie Dolls where every day there are new freebies.   It's called "Pumpkin Everything" and it so reminded me of myself.  In recent years, Thanksgiving dinners have been at my daughter's house, partly because they have the biggest dining room table and partly because my SIL loves to cook for everyone.  I have to beg and grovel to be allowed to bring anything (he loves to do it all and never expects anyone else to help out, bless him) and what I bring usually ends up being dessert.

     To say that I love all things pumpkin is an understatement!  Whether I bake them myself or find them at the bakery, each year I try to find or make something a little bit different, but I always end up with at least three different pumpkin-somethings.  :-D

     Because I used the pre-colored image, I had plenty of time to do other fussy details on this card and that somehow turned into creating as much dimension as possible.  The image is printed onto plain white CS but I printed it three times.  The base image was cut to 5.25 x 5.25 inches.  I added the polka dot ribbon before layering that onto polka dot dp which made up the card front, 5.5 x 5.5 inches.

     I grabbed the other two printed images and hand cut the pie, the "I Love Pumpkin" flag, the pumpkin sign, the bag of pumpkin cookies, and her coffee cup.  I layered them up, using Pop Dots and that gave some really wonderful depth and dimension.  Here's a close up photo from the side.

     I added one of my bowtie bows, this one made from burlap ribbon and without the fancy dovetails I usually do, then layered the sentiment onto three layers of white CS, fussy cut it, and inked the edges before adding it on top of the ribbon.  It was a time consuming process for a rather CAS design but my granddaughter will love it.  She's the one who collects all the cards I make for members of her family, and that includes Thanksgiving cards for each person.  Regardless of who originally is given the card, they all end up in her stash of "Nana-made" cards.  I do believe she has cards from as far back as 6 or 7 years ago.  This one will serve as my Thank You card for the Host & Hostess.  :-D

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Card Mania
Craft-Dee Bowz
Crafty Ribbons
Creative Fingers
Creative Ladybirds Creations
Hiding in My Craft Room
My Crafting Stories
Send a Smile 4 Kids

     I'll have a second post later today so I hope you check back.  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie  

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" ICON BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX. SORRY.