"N" is for Nutcracker - 30 Days of Holidays

      One more card for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and today we're working with the letter "N" so a Nutcracker was a Natural.  Because I'm still fighting that nasty respiratory virus, I decided on something really quick and printed out a pre-colored version of one of Beccy's Nutcrackers. 

      I cut the image with a die from Tonic Studios, then punched the corners of the image piece with a Fiskars corner punch.  After that, I began searching through my Christmas ribbons.  I was looking for a plaid ribbon and  was found in the scrap basket.  I really love the plaid on Christmas cards and I think it goes well with the masculine Nutcracker image.  I think ribbon is my favorite embellishment because it works so well with both feminine and masculine cards.

     I used an Art Impressions die to cut the snowflakes, made the center one with 2 layers, and added glitter and a gem to the top snowflake.  The NOEL sentiment was cut with a Die-Versions die and it gave me one more "N."

     Challenges:

52 Weeks Christmas

As You Like It

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Friday

Krafty Chicks

Outlawz Thurs (The Nutcracker, of course!)

Pattie's Creations

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Nutcrackers

      Conie Fong has a new image set, released just this week and perfect for Christmas.  It's a fabulous set of Nutcrackers which includes a King, a Soldier, and a Drummer.  Click on the word "Nutcrackers" in the previous sentence and that will take you right to them in store.  They are so perfect and I went a little crazy making DT projects with them.  :-D

     I started with this card, using the Nutcracker King image.  He's colored with Sanjoki markers, then cut with a Tonic Studios die.  I used a Sizzix embossing folder on a scrap of CS (Stampin' Up) to make the blue panel, then cut the snowflakes with dies from Impression Obsession.  They have glitter added to them for a tiny bit of sparkle but it just doesn't show up in the photo.  The Noel sentiment was cut with a Die-Versions die.  The final touch was the hand-sewn, satin bow with a pearl.

     Challenges:

     Feeling that the other two Nutcracker images shouldn't be left out, and because my daughter collects nutcrackers as Christmas decorations and displays, I made a two-sided, tree ornament for her.  Both images were colored with Sanjoki markers, then I cut each one with the same Spellbinders die.  

 

     After cutting the images with that die, I cut 7 more of that shape from plain white CS.  I sandwiched all those layers together using double stick tape to make the ornament thick and heavy, and added a scrap of ribbon as the hanger.  (Note: As an afterthought, after the photos had been taken, I applied Mod Podge to both sides and along the edges of the ornament, letting it dry between applications.  It's now very sturdy and can be used year after year.)

     These snowflakes were cut with a die from Cottage Cuts.  Here are photos of both sides of the ornament.

Drummer

 

Soldier

     Challenges:

     Don't forget that we have a monthly challenge going over on the Conie Fong Facebook site with an Anything Goes theme.  All you have to do is use a Conie Fong image (there are freebies available on the site which you can download and use.)  Or, if you've fallen in love with the Nutcrackers, you can pick up all 3 of them in the set for only $4.00!  Again, all you have to do is click on the word "Nutcrackers" in the first paragraph of this post and that link will take you right to them in the Etsy store.  :-D

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Day 24, Letter "U" - Beccy's Place 30 Days of Christmas

     I had to do a bit of thinking for the "U" prompt at the 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place.  I thought about all the "Under the tree, mistletoe, starry sky,...etc." but decided to reflect something from the famous Nutcracker Ballet and use Uniform worn by the Nutcracker.  I also made a U-fold card.  You can find a tutorial for them on Beccy's blog.

Here's another photo taken at an angle which will let you see the inside side panels a bit better.

Back and side panel photos from Nutcracker Suite ballet (found in online search)

Nutcracker image from Beccy's Place fussy cut w/ scissors

Brown wood grained CS for the 'stage'

Sparkle Tulle for the top theater 'curtain' 

     Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge

Creative Fingers

Cute Card Thurs

Dragonfly Dreams

Outlawz PAM

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Nutcracker

     Here's my post for the 'curve' Beccy's Place threw us on Thursday when she gave us a prompt of "CASE Yourself" instead of the letter "T" which I was expecting and had prepared ahead.  We have to take a previous card we have made and CASE it.

     Here's the card I CASEd, one I did last year for the 30 Days of Christmas.  You can see the post HERE.  I used one of Beccy's freebies.

     I decided on something really quick and printed out 

     a pre-colored version of one of her new Nutcrackers. 

I also took my cue from the sketch

at Sketch Saturday.

     I decided to reverse the reds and greens from last year's card while still keeping the single character as the main focus.  I punched the corners of the image with another Fiskars corner punch, and began searching through my Christmas ribbons.  I was looking for that same plaid ribbon but it was not to be found.  I really love the one I did find and I think it goes well with the masculine Nutcracker image.

     I used an Art Impressions die to cut the snowflakes, made the center one with 2 layers, and added glitter and a gem to the top snowflake.  The sentiment was cut with a Die-Versions die and it echos the sentiment from last year.

     Challenges:
Crafty Friends
Crafty Hazelnut's
Di's Digi Designs
Lemon Shortbread
Outlawz Twisted Thurs.
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
TTCRD
Word Art Weds.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Nutcrackers

     My daughter absolutely loves nutcrackers inspired by the traditional Christmas ballet, "The Nutcracker."  I can hardly blame her since that's one of my favorite ballets, and is one in which I danced during my childhood years.  Wonderful memories sweep over me whenever I hear any of the music from it.

     I've done a couple of Christmas cards this year with nutcrackers on them and this is another one.   But this one was made using papers entirely from my oldest stash and Christmas scraps.  There's nothing I like better than using up old stash items.  I always feel so frugal and self-satisfied when I can use up things which I bought so long ago and which have been languishing, unused.  Besides, it makes me feel like a new shopping spree is in order.  lol

     The Nutcracker is made with a Die-Versions die, cut three times in different colors, then put together.  The plaid paper is cut with a window (the black CS is behind the image and the plaid dp) and that's a die from Spellbinders.  The little snowflake and the embossed sentiment are done with dies from Cheery Lynn.  I used a white marker to highlight over the embossing on the "Merry Christmas" so that it stands out a bit more.

     I kept this design very CAS so it can be easily mailed.  I'm about half-way done with all the Christmas cards I need for this year and time is getting short!

     Challenges:
As You Like It
Christmas Card
C.R.A.F.T.
Crafting from the Heart
Crafty Catz
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Crafty Hazelnut's Extra
Craft Your Passion
Double D
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Pixie's Snippets
Word Art Weds.

     Today is my daughter's birthday but I'm not telling her age (because I'm not old enough to have a child her age much less have my baby child be that age!)  But I hope to take her to lunch to celebrate.  After all, she had lunch on me the day she was born so why not today?  :-D  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

Nutcracker Christmas

     Here's another of the cards I did using a set from Deedee's Digis.  In case you haven't heard the sad news, Deedee's is going to be closing at the end of the year.  I've so enjoyed my time on her DT and I'll miss seeing new sets from her each month.  But for you folks, this means that you can get those "Wish List" sets you've wanted for 75% off!  Every set in the store is less than a dollar.  How can you beat that?!

     For this card, I used the "Nutcrackers" set.  You'll see a couple more of these from the set on some tags I made and I'll share those later.

     The image is fussy cut and adhered to the red, die cut, CS.  I used an embossing folder (Darice) on the glittered CS background piece (a scrap from another project) after it was cut with a die from Spellbinders. The sentiment was done with a computer font, then hand cut and mounted.   Everything was mounted using dimensional dots for depth and texture.

     Ribbon and hand tied bow are leftover scraps also and the green snowflakes are punched out pieces, scraps which I had tossed into my stash for use later.

     Challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge (March of the Toy Soldiers)
Aud Sentiments
Cards in Envy
Christmas Card Challenge
Come and Get It
Crafty Catz
Crafty Girls
Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas
Creative Moments
Cuttlebug Mania
DL.ART Thursday
DRS Designs
Glitter n Sparkle
Graph'It
Jingle Belles
Melonheadz Friends
Outlawz Twisted Thursday
Quirky Crafts
Star Stampz
Whimsy Inspiration
Winter Wonderland

     I'll have another post later today so be sure to stop by again.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie

 Nutcrackers