Grammy's Rocker

      We're starting another challenge over at FarmQuest today and this time our theme is  "Porch or Deck Furniture" and we always have an underlying "Country or Farm" theme.  Our challenge will run from January 28 thru February 13, and our next challenge will start on February 14.

     The instant I saw this beautiful image, I thought about the front porch on my Grammy's farm house, and the rocking chair where she sat, usually doing some chores while she relaxed.  With a crockery bowl on her lap, filled with green beans needing to have the strings removed, or walnuts that needed shelling, she would sing to the birds in their own tongues as she soaked up the last of the afternoon before dinner was started.

    I ended up buying the entire collection of clip art rocker images, chose this one, printed it in grayscale (the lightest possible), then colored it with pencils and a touch of water colors on the leaves.  I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders, then mounted it onto of a scrap of dp (probably DCWV) which has been in the scrap basket for at least 5 years!  

     The sentiment was printed, then cut with an Avery Elle die.  It's a pretty simple card and could even be called CAS but for the fancy print in the dp.

     

     Challenges:

Coloring w Pencils

Creative Fingers

Creative Moments

Gem of a ...

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's IP

Pattie's Creations

Penny's P-C

WordArt Weds

     That's all for today but I hope you'll come and play along with us this fortnight.  We love seeing what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Lavender Birthday

      I've finally felt up to getting a card made but it took so much time and energy that it may be the only one I make the rest of this month.  Good thing I had worked many weeks ahead on most of my DT card obligations.  :-D  

     This is a birthday card for a dear friend who loves lavender, especially the flowers themselves, although she's willing to have the scent of lavender in soaps, candles, and air fresheners as often as she can find them.  The image is from Beccy's Place and it works perfectly for their optional challenge theme this month - "Flowers."

     I printed the pre-colored version of the image in gray scale, then used my Sanjoki alcohol markers and white gel pen to color it.  I was inspired by the sketch over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday (see below) and dug through the basket of scrap papers to find the two I used.  I'm pretty sure they are old (very old!) DCWV papers.  

     I matted each of them with a solid purple CS, and used another scrap of it right behind the fussy cut image.  The sentiment is also from Beccy's Place, but don't ask me from which set because I don't remember.

Sweet Sketch Weds. #269 - turned 1/4 turn

     Challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms (1st Birthday)

I Love Markers

Papercraft

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Star Stampz

WordArt Weds.

     That's it for today and I wish you Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

FarmQuest and Double Trouble Collaborate

      Our newest challenge at FarmQuest starts today and tomorrow (January 15), we collaborate with Double Trouble through the end of the month (January 31.)  Our theme at FarmQuest is "Winter Activities," things like skating, skiing, sledding, or even sleigh rides.  In addition to that, Double Trouble wants you to use embossing folders or stencils.  (See below)

THING  1:  Trouble Maker 

says, "It's Wintertime and I'm just chillin' so I don't want to make things complicated. That's why I'm asking you to pull embossing folders and/or stencils from your stash to create a project with a wintry country feeling."   

You can stop here... 

OR  

play along with Twisted Sister's optional twist to help you earn another chance in our random drawing.  

THING  3:  Twisted Sister 

says, "Remember the song, "Playmate, Come Out and Play with Me"?  If you come out and play with me, be ready to enjoy skiing, sledding, sleigh riding, tobogganing, or skating. My optional twist is to include one of these winter sports in your project to earn an additional chance in our random drawing.   

"And let's not forget National Hat Day is January 15th. This is a fun observance when you wear and enjoy any hat of your choice and style. If you also include a hat in your project we have a 'January Special' for you - a second random drawing in addition to our usual one." 

THING  2:  Double Dare 

says, "If you have met Thing 1's requirement to create a wintry theme and have included a winter sport, you are eligible to enter your project HERE at Farm Quest Challenge #44 and you will qualify for an additional chance in our random drawing."                   

January Special:  While not a requirement don't forget if you have included a hat in your project you are eligible for our 'January Special' - another drawing in addition to our usual random drawing.

 

     For my card, I used an Ice skate image from Jan's Digi Stamps, colored with Sanjoki markers, and fussy cut with scissors.  The winter themed frame was made using a die from Amy Designs and it has embossing on it.  The background is Swiss Dot embossed on sparkly, glitter paper.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The image, the frame, and the sentiment are all mounted onto dimensional tape for a raised effect and visual interest.

     Challenges:

Can You Handle...?

Christmas Bingo (I - Image, Free, Square)

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Friendship

Outlawz Friday

Pattie's Creations

Peace on Earth

Polkadoodles

Star Stampz

     Come play in our challenge this week and if you use an embossing folder or a stencil, then enter it over at Double Trouble, too.  We look forward to seeing what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sharing Recipes

      For many months now, I've been collecting recipes by searching for clip art recipe cards.  A friend of mine asked me to share this one with her and, rather than just writing it down or sending an email, I decided to print the clip art, add my own colors to  it, and make it into a card which I mailed to her yesterday.

     I also discovered a fun new challenge that's all about food and kitchens and farmer's markets, and I think this will make a perfect entry!  The challenge is part of the FarmQuest family of challenges, run by Becca Sadler.  Rather than join the challenge as another of her DT gals, I told her I wanted to be a play and share cards I make using many of the clip art recipes I've been collecting.  Since I have more than 25 of them at the moment (and will undoubtedly collect more of them), I'll be able to play along for a couple of years.  :-D  Here's a link to that challenge:  FarmQuest Homestyle Kitchen.

     This first one is for a fabulous Artichoke Dip and I really love it.  It's marvelous with freshly baked (and still warm) artisan breads, or even as a drizzle for a plate of corn chips or tortilla chips.  I printed the clip art at 20% color saturation, then used my Sanjoki markers to add somewhat softer colors to most of the image.  I used pencils on the tomatoes because I wanted them to be a bit more vibrant. 

     I framed the image with white CS, then added that piece to a layer of dp which I had used for the background.   I cut the leaves with an old Cheery Lynn die and layered them onto the top of the image.  I'm sure my friend will love this way of getting the recipe.

      Challenges:

Creative Inspiration

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Star Stampz

Word Art Weds

      Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie    

FarmQuest Country Christmas January

      I'm still sharing Christmas cards and will be doing so each month for the FarmQuest Country Christmas challenge which runs for a month at a time, starting on the 7th of each month throughout the year.  Each challenge ends on the 5th of the following month.  

     The theme is always Christmas and it must have a country flair.  No big city scenes or modern crowded city streets, just open country scenes of wood land animals or fields.

     This beautiful cardinal image is a coloring book page, sized to fit a card.  I printed it in light sepia tone (20% saturation), then colored the bird and branch with water colors.  I used a Spellbinders die to cut the image.  I printed the sentiment, cut it with an Avery Elle die, and matted it with a scrap of red CS.   I took another scrap strip of red CS, punched one corner with a Fiskars punch, and used it as background.  A really CAS card but one with eye appeal.

     Challenges:

Crafts Galore ...

Kerst Christmas

Merry...Christmas

Morgan's ArtWorld

Outlawz Friday

Peace on Earth

SheepSki Designs

Triple B

     I hope you're not too tired of Christmas to come join us in our Country Christmas Challenge.  We love seeing what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Appy-loosa Birthday

      Here we are with another challenge starting over at FarmQuest General Store and starting with this challenge, we have a sponsor and a prize!  Our underlying requirement for every entry is that it have a country/farm flair but other than that, it's always "Anything Goes."

     Our sponsor is the fun and fabulous QKR Stampede and the prize is the 3 digital images which have been used by the DT.  Check out the challenge post on FQGC to see them all.  I've used the one called Appaloosa Foal and turned it into a masculine birthday card.

     The image was colored with my Sanjoki markers, then cut with a QuicKutz die.  I did the corners with a Fiskars corner punch.  The background argyle paper came from a DCWV stack and it was a left over scrap.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

Sketch based on #556 at Sketch Saturday. stretched into landscape.

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Gem of a Challenge

Let's Craft & ...

Outlawz SAR (what better new beginning than a new foal and a birthday?)

Pattie's Creations

     Come play with us this month.  You could be the winner of our first sponsored prize!  Visit the FQGS challenge blog to see the other two images which, along with this one, are the prize from QKR Stampede.

 

     Happy crafting.  NanaConnie