Halloween High

     This is my second post today and I have wonderful news.  I've been invited to join the DT at Brown Sugar!   It's a monthly challenge which starts on the first Friday of each month.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" and we'd love to see you come and play along with us.

     Our sponsor this month is QKR Stampede and how much fun it is for me being on both teams!  :-D  I've done a Halloween card using the QKR image "Hanging" and "Halloween High" for the sentiment.

I pulled all my colors from the inspiration photo

at Color My Heart Color Dare #362.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Tonic Studio dies
Framed with glitter paper from Recollections
Sparkle ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Hand tied, stitched ribbon, bow

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Aud Sentiments
Cardz TV
Colour Crazy
Cute Card Thurs
Cute N Crafty
Cutie Pie
Outlawz Greetings

Happy Crafting and come play with us this month!  NanaConnie

Gathering Nuts

     It must be fall; the squirrels are gathering nuts!   I'm delighted, for more than just the cooler temperatures.  Check out my card for this week's new challenge at QKR Stampede and you'll understand why.  If you enlarge the photo, you can more easily read that silly sentiment.  :-D   I used the QKR image "Writing Squirrel" and added "Acorn Accent" to give him an armful of nuts.  In the original image, he's holding a pencil.

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with Unbranded die, inked edge
Acorns printed twice, hand cut, and added in layers
Background embossed with Sizzix folder
Wrapped burlap-twine bow
Hand cut sentiment, inked edge

     Challenges:
2 Sisters on the Blog
A Bit More Time to Craft
Bastel-Traum
Classic DT
Craft-Dee BowZ
Crafts Galore Encore
Creative Moments
Die Cut Divas
Friendship
Paperminutes
Scribbles Designs

     I'll have a second post today and some fun news so be sure to stop by a bit later.  In the meantime, think about creating something to enter into our Anything Goes challenge at QKR.  We love being inspired by the things you enter.  NanaConnie

Bewitched !

     Another Halloween card today and it's for our challenge at Crafting with an Attitude where we have our usual "Anything Goes" theme.  Our fabulous sponsor is Digi Doodle Studios and you know how much I love their images!  This one is called "Witchy Shoes" and I colored it Halloween colors.

Colored with ProMarkers
Die cut with QuicKutz
Glitter paper by Recollections
Hand tied bow with sequin
Sentiment cut with QuicKutz
Inked edges on sentiment
Black card base

     Challenges:
Crafty Creations
Creative Inspirations
Digi Choosday
I {heart} ProMarkers
Paper Funday
Passion for ProMarkers
Scrappy Land
TTCRD
Work It Weds.

     Come play with us this month!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Witches' Stew

     My mother loved split pea soup - me, not so much.  She'd have a batch of it simmering on the stove as soon as the weather turned cold and, most often, that meant sometime in October.  With Halloween looming on the near horizon, she'd try to 'sell' the dish to me by calling it "The Witches' Stew."  Each year, she'd say it was a secret recipe which she'd procured with great difficulty from a dying witch and that it was guaranteed to cure all winter ills.  lol

     I'm celebrating that memory by using this fun image and sentiment from Jan's Digi Stamps.  Remember a couple of days ago when I was telling you how excited I was to have found Jan's new store after the closure of Sparkle N Sprinkle?  If you didn't see that post, check it out HERE. 

     Below is Gertie, the Witch with her bowl full of Witches' Stew.  (Image is actually named Witches' Brew.)  While I'm at it, let me share some fabulous news with you.  On Monday, November 4, 2019, Jan's Digi Stamps is going to be starting a new challenge blog!  Challenges will be posted on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month and they will have an Anything Goes theme.  You can  read all the Guidelines if you visit the blog.  Mark your calendars and be sure to become a follower so that you don't miss out on playing in them.

     OK, here's today's card:

I took a couple of liberties but was inspired by

the sketch at The Outlawz.

Colored with ProMarkers
Image and frame cut with Tonic Studios dies
Card front embossed with "Linen" EF
Scrap of ribbon
Signature bow with pearls
All the CS used were scraps, including the piece used for the image and the sentiment

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
I {heart} ProMarkers
Paper Funday
Passion for ProMarkers
Pixie's Snippets
Scrappy Land
SUYP Cats

     That's it for today.  Please go check out the new challenge blog at Jan's Digi Stamps and mark your calendar for November 4th when our first challenge will go live.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

All Hallows Eve

     Welcome to my second post today and to my DT card for the new monthly challenge beginning at SheepSki Designs.  Our theme this month is "Autumn Colors" and I used those to make a Halloween card, using the "Duplicity" image.  This wasn't necessarily intended as a Halloween image but I thought I'd try it and see how it turned out.  I'm pleased with the result.

Colored with ProMarkers
Fussy cut with scissors
Sparkly ribbon
Black card base
White gel ink on sentiment

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge
Butterfly (Mandarin, Magnolia, Markers)
Colour Crazy
Crafty Friends
Dream Valley
Outlawz Greetings
Pattie's Creations
Polkadoodles
Stamping Sensations

     Dig out all your lovely autumn colors and come play with us this month.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

October Challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies

     Good morning (or evening, or afternoon, depending on when you came by for a visit.)  It's October 1st and that means we're starting a new monthly challenge at 2 Crafty Critter Crazies.

     Before I show you my DT creation for this month, I want to share with you some information which may inspire you or which you might want to pass on to someone else you know.

2 CCC IS LOOKING FOR NEW DT MEMBERS!

     2 Crafty Critter Crazies is looking for a couple of new DT members and we have some rather different criteria than most challenge blogs.  We're looking for people who are relatively NEW to either blogging or Design Team work or both!   That doesn't necessarily mean you just started yesterday but if you'd like to serve on a team for perhaps the first time and feel like you might need some assistance along the way, we're the team for you.  It's only a 3 month position so no long term commitment which you might find just isn't for you after all.

      If you are willing to use Sponsor digital images, willing to make one project per month, willing to pre-schedule it to go live on your blog at the same time as the main challenge on the 1st of each month, and willing to leave comments on an assigned rotation of entries, then we'd love to hear from you.  Please email us at 2craftycrittercrazies@gmail.com and let us know little bit about you, give us the name of your blog and a link to it, if you are familiar with how to do that.  If not, don't worry, that's something we can explain to you.

     OK, now my card using a retired image and sentiment from Beccy's Place.  I'm apologizing ahead of time because I know you're going to fall in love with this image and ask me where to get it but it's no longer available.  I am sorry.

I used colors from Color My Heart Color Dare.

Colored with ProMarkers and white gel ink on the eyes and legs
Cut with a square die from Spellbinders
Both ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Bats are die cut with Impression Obsession dies

     Challenges:
Cardz TV
Crafty Catz
Creative Fingers
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs.
Digi Choosday
Lemon Shortbread
TTCRD

     I hope you're going to come and play with us this moth.  Remember, all you need is a project which features a creature of some kind.  Beyond that one requirement, it's anything goes.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie
     

Partied Too Much

     My granddaughter's roommate has a birthday coming up and I made this card for her.  These are her fur babies, Eva (the pug) and Luna (the cat.)  Luna is now fully grown but this is such a memorable photo of the two of them shortly after Luna came to live there that I just had to use it.

     This one is a CAS design and I do a lot of CAS, mainly because I mail so many of my cards and flatter is better with the price of postage these days.  :-D

Tonic Studio dies
Stitched ribbon and black satin ribbon both from Crafty Ribbons
Kraft CS and burgundy CS

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Creations
Cute N Crafty
Dragonfly Dreams
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
My Favorite Things Colors

SUYP Cats
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pumpkin Thyme

     I've rediscovered Jan's Digi Stamps, which I used to get through Sparkle N Sprinkle.  When SnS closed, I was afraid I'd lost Jan's beautiful images forever but then I found that she has her own store, which you can check out here.

     These images are from two of her new autumn sets, which I'm using on a Thanksgiving card.  I merged the images and I love the effect of distance between them.

Colored with ProMarkers
Spellbinders square die plus an out-of-the-box technique
Fussy cutting with scissor on the pumpkins in the tub
2 diamond texture ribbons
Raffia triple-loop bow
Everything done on kraft card base

     Challenges:
Crafty Creations
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
House that Stamps Built
Lemon Shortbread
Papercraft
Paper Funday
Paper Shelter
Simon Says Stamp
TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

No Candles - Just Cake

     Do you have someone close who's about to celebrate one of those landmark birthdays but they just don't want anything to tattletale their age?  Yeah?  Me, too, but my daughter shall remain anonymous.  lol  She's less than a month from her birthday and, no, I won't tell you which one.  I mean, really, however old she is, her age makes me so much older!

     This card with an image from Mo's Digital Pencil is in honor of not saying or doing anything which might tell her age.

Colors from the challenge at Mo's.

This was easy since purple is my fav color 

and the purple/aqua combo is also my fav.

 Colored with ProMarkers
 Glitter added to the stars and the ruffle on her skirt
     (click on the photo for a better view)
Polka Dot ribbon from Crafty Ribbons
Bow hand tied with satin ribbon scrap

     Challenges:
Addicted to Stamps
Crafty Catz
Cutie Pie
Dare 2B Artsy
Dragonfly Dreams
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Girls
Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Artist

     Hello and welcome to the latest weekly challenge at QKR Stampede.  This week I seem to have been focused on all things artistic so what better idea than to showcase a darling little artist?  This image is called "Artist Bear" and I think he's adorable!

Colored with ProMarkers
Cut with circle die from QuicKutz
Border made with pieces from Sizzix quilt die
Hand tied bow, dyed with ProMarker
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Angie's Digital Stamps
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Catz
Creative Knockouts
Cute N Crafty
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Outlawz Twist Thurs
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Scrapper's Delights
Your Next Stamp

     Come play with us this week.  Our theme is always Anything Goes and you can use any products you choose from any company.  If you do use an image from QKR (or our sister company, Eureka Stamps), your entry will be in a separate draw just for those images.  That increases your chances of winning by a huge margin!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Not-Very-Spooky Mummy

     I seem to be doing a lots of cards with Digi Doodle Studios stamps on them recently but I really have discovered several in  the store which I loved the instant I saw them.  Of course, they jumped right into my cart without even asking if it was OK so I had to use them.  :-D

     The image on this Halloween card is the freebie they gave for Kit and Clowder this month.  Isn't he adorable?

I based this on the sketch at The Outlawz.

Colored with ProMarkers (Fav Halloween colors)
QuicKutz circle die
Distressed papers from Making Memories
Signature bows w pearls
Sentiment from QKR Stampede

     Challenges:
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Gals Corner
Cutie Pie
Dare 2B Artsy
I {heart} ProMarkers
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Shelter
Scrappy Land

     Enjoy the rest of your week and thanks for visiting.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Turkeys for Thanksgiving Dinner

     I wanted an exceptionally silly Thanksgiving card for my daughter and found both the sentiment and the image at Bugaboo Stamps.  Even though they are not part of the same set, they work perfectly together.

I based this card design on the sketch at Stella Says Sketch.

Colored with ProMarkers
Sentiment die cut with QuicKutz die
Image fussy cut w scissors
Silk leaves with touches of glitter added
Background dp was a left over scrap
Dots on dp are embossed

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Catch the Bug (bottom row)
Crafty Sentiments
Double D
Outlawz Colors (bottom row)
Paper Funday
TTCRD
Tuesday Throwdown

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Autumn Sprite

     Another of the sprites from AuroraWings, this one called Autumn Sprite.  I'm going  to use this one for a Thanksgiving card.

Colored with ProMarkers
Spellbinders die
Sheer and grosgrain ribbons
Sentiment printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs.
I {heart} ProMarkers
Lemon Shortbread
Papercraft
Word Art Weds.

     We're almost mid-way through the week, more than mid-way through September, and in my part of the country it's still hot, hot, hot!   I'm praying for fall and the cool, crisp evenings that make the mildly warm days enjoyable.  Hope things are cooler in your neck of the woods.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Magic Window Card

     This is my first ever Magic Window card and I got both the inspiration and instructions at the Butterfly Challenge.  Each fortnight they have a new 'wheel' with six different options which you can use in making your entries.  This time, I used all six of the options in one card: Mandarin, Mint, Magnolia (colors); markers, metal charms, and the Magic Window technique.

  

Here's the card front, a gate fold,

 

and the inside.  When the card is opened,

the diamond-shaped 'window' slides open as if by magic!

ProMarker used to 'dye' the embroidered butterfly mandarin orange

The butterfly paper was in a prize pack from Butterfly Challenges

The Medallion doily was also part of the prize pack

2 Metal Charms - glued together on the medallion

QuicKutz die used inside

     This card made me think about one of my favorite activities when I was a much younger version of myself - chasing butterflies!  I didn't catch many but lots of happy, free time, hours were filled with anticipation of having the largest collection of butterflies ever!  lol  

     Challenges:

Butterfly  (all 6 + butterflies)

Crafts Galore Encore

Crafty Catz

Die Cut Divas

Ellibelle's Crafty Weds.

Get Creative

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Scrappy Land

Simon Says Stamp

TTCRD

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Being Good (for Santa)

     Today's image is the freebie for the Progressive Challenge at LeAnn's World 101, although I reversed the image using tools in MS Word.  I colored her in typical Christmas colors of red and green and kept that combo throughout the card.

Colored with ProMarkers
Sue Wilson die
Red CS for frame
Polka Dot grosgrain ribbon
Distressed paper from K & Co.
Fiskars corner punch
Sentiment w computer font
Layers for texture

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
Cute N Crafty Christmas
Digi Choosday
Ike's World
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Greetings
Paper Girls
Scrappy Land
TTCRD

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Santa's Cookies

     This is an old image, originally from Karen's - a shop which closed 3 or 4 years back, but an image I dearly love so I use it nearly every Christmas season.  Again, another of my favorites; a little animal wearing a Santa hat which I've used because I have only one or two actual Santa images and I actually prefer cute animals to Santa anyway.  :-D

ProMarkers and gel inks for coloring
Spellbinders rectangle die
Fiskars corner punch
Darice embossing folder on white, iridescent paper
  (It really shines IRL !)
Scrap dp strip
Pink card base

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Aud Sentiments
Crafty Hazelnut's
Creative Knockouts
Cute Card Thurs.
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Paper Girls
Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pip, Pip, Hooray!

     Another Friday rolls around and it's almost autumn; time to think about school, pep rallies, and cold weather football!  One of my granddaughters is a cheer leader at the local community college (her first year there) and she has her 18th birthday coming up shortly so I used this fun image from QKR Stampede for her card.  It's called, amazingly enough, "Cheer Leader" and she's obviously dressed for those chilly, windblown, autumn days.

     Yep, it's time for another new challenge at QKR Stampede and I hope we're going to see you playing along with us this week. 

Colored (in her school colors) with ProMarkers
Cut with Memory Box stitched dies
Papers from the scrap bin
Hand tied bow, 'dyed' with ProMarker
Sentiment computer printed and hand cut

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Colour Crazy
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafty Creations
Crafty Gals Corner
Cute Card Thurs.
I {heart} ProMarkers
Scrappy Land
Word Art Weds.
Work It Weds.

     Come play at QKR Stampede this week.  Our theme is always Anything Goes and you can use any products from any company.  If you choose to use an image from QKR (or Eureka Stamps, our sister company), your entry will go into a separate drawing and that increases your chances of winning by a huge amount!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Christmas Mouse with Holly

     Digi Doodle Studios has a sketch challenge over on Facebook this month and I pulled this adorable little mouse with his holly sprig out of my collection of DDS images and now I can add one more Christmas card to my stash.

     I love using creatures that are wearing Santa caps for Christmas cards rather than actual Santa images but that's probably because I don't have very many images of Santa or Father Christmas but lots of animal images.

     Here's my card and the sketch.

     

Colored with ProMarkers and Copics
Stickles added to the "O" in the Noel, the snowflake on his hat, and the ornament in his hand
Image and frame cut with Memory Box pinpoint dies
Strip of dp from scraps - stitched die from Unbranded dies
Snowflakes with glitter added (glitter is my fav embellie for Christmas cards!)
Gems from STAMPendous

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
As You Like It
C.R.A.F.T.
Digi Doodle Studios
Outlawz Festive Fri.
Scrappy Land
Take It, Make It
Winter Wonderland
Work It Weds.

     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

Feed the Birds for Christmas

     I'm sharing another of my favorite images from Mo's Digital Pencil which has the sweetest little urchin feeding the birds during the cold days of Christmas.  They have a color challenge for the theme this month which includes one of my favorite color combos - purples and aquas.

  

I used the sketch from Sweet Sketch Wednesday.

Colored with ProMarkers
Image cut with Spellbinders die
Papers from Doodlebug
Plaid paper cut with QuicKutz dies
Snowflakes cut with AI die
Glitter added to snowflakes
White background paper textured with embossing

     Challenges:
ABC Christmas
A Gem of a Challenge
Crafting by Designs
Crafty Creations
Crafty Hazelnut's
Cute N Crafty Christmas
House that Stamps Built (diagonal: die cut/ square card/ blue or purple)
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie