Friday, February 28, 2025

On the March ...

      This morning we are starting our newest challenge over at FarmQuest.  Our theme for the next month, in addition to the underlying "Farm or Country" which is always there, is "Nocturnal Animals."  

     As soon as I saw this clip art, owl image (it may even be a photograph but AI digital is so good these days, who knows for sure?), I knew I had to use it for my DT card.  Doesn't he look like he's determined to get home quickly before the sun can get any higher?  It's obviously waaay past his nocturnal bedtime!

     I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die, matted it with white CS (also cut with another Tonic Studios die from that same set), and added brown, gingham ribbon to the top and bottom.  I tied a separate bow and added it to the top strip of ribbon.  That ribbon has been in my stash for longer than I care to remember, lying about, forgotten in the midst of brighter ribbon colors.  It originally came from Really Reasonable Ribbon and still had the paper sleeve on it, proving it was unused.

     I printed the sentiment, then cut it with an Avery Elle die.  I mounted everything onto a kraft card base.   

     I love making masculine cards because they can be kept pretty simple in design, compared to feminine cards which tend to get over embellished (in my house, at least!)   Even when I do add ribbon, I find that the ginghams can feel masculine, especially when they are in the brown and black families.  But the real reason I do so many masculine cards is that I have more guys in my family than gals.  :-D


     Challenges:

     Hope to see you playing along in our challenge this time.  It runs until March 26 so you have plenty of time to create something with a country flair and get it entered into our challenge.  We love being inspired by you!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Gothic Valentines

      Today is my turn to share my DT projects for the February challenge at Conjuror of Dreams.  The theme is Anything Goes but we give you an optional theme and this month, it's "Gothic Hearts."

     I did three cards using fabulous Conjuror images from two different sets.  This first one is from the "High Priestess of the Heart" set.  I printed her in grayscale, then colored her with Ohuhu markers.  I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die, matted her with white CS, and then inked the edges.  The background dp (both of them) came from a Lawn Fawn stack.


     Challenges:

     This second card is from the same "High Priestess..." set and again, I printed it in light grayscale, colored it with markers (Sanjoki, this time), and cut it with a Spellbinders die.  Again, the dp came from that same Lawn Fawn stack.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.


     Challenges:

     Finally, this last card features an image from the Conjuror set called "Love Potion."  This time, I used the pre-colored version but used Word to adjust the color tone and brightness before printing it.  I cut the image with a die from Tonic Studios, and inked the edges with a black marker.  The background dp came from that same Lawn Fawn stack and the red strip is CS cut with a long punch on one side.  I dropped this one into a neighbor's mail box anonymously.  She collects old, fancy, perfume bottles so I knew she'd love this image!

   
     Challenges:
  
     I know Valentine's Day is gone for this year but our challenge is still open and you can enter it but only for the rest of this week.  Our next challenge starts on Saturday, March 1.  I hope you're going to play along with us this month.  Don't forget that we also have a Progressive Challenge on our Facebook page.  You need to use a Conjuror of Dreams image to enter the Progressive challenge, but then you get the image for the following month free!  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Saturday, February 22, 2025

The Birthday Princess

      I finally managed to get a card made using the beautiful progressive image for this month at the Moondrea Challenge.  I thought she was such a princess that she'd make a fantastic feminine birthday card for a young lady.

     She's colored with watercolor pencils, cut with a Spellbinders die, matted with a scrap of aqua CS, and layered onto a background of dp scraps from the overflowing basket.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.


     Challenges:
(links to be added shortly)

     That's all I have for today.  I admit I've been making more gnomes this month and fewer cards but I'll get back into my regular routine soon.  Somehow, I've fallen in love with all the different gnomes that can be made and have been completely fascinated with trying new styles of them.  Maybe I'll share a post with gnome photos next week and you can se what I mean.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Monday, February 10, 2025

Cute Heart Valentine

      I'm posting my DT card today for the challenge over at Star Stampz.  Our themes are always "Anything Goes" with an optional subtheme, which is "Hearts" this month, in honor of Valentine's Day.

     I used the darling Star Stampz image called "Cute Heart Valentine."  I colored her with Ohuhu and Sanjoki markers, then cut the image with a QuicKutz die.  I added a frame to it, also cut with a QuicKutz die from that same set.  The background dp came from a DCWV stack which has been in my stash for at least 5 years!   The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.


     Challenges:

     That's all I have for today.  Wishing you a fun and fabulous Valentine's Day on Friday.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Friday, February 7, 2025

Owl Always Love You

      A new challenge has started over at FarmQuest General Store and our theme is always "Anything Goes."


     I found this adorable clip art image of an owl couple and thought they'd make a cute Valentine card.  I printed the image in sepia tone, cut it with a Spellbinders die and then inked the edges.  The little heart dp came from a stack of calico prints by DCWV and I thought it was perfect!  My last touch was a hand tied bow of kitchen string.  Simple, quick and easy, and overall fun.  :-)


     Challenges:


     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Card in February

      Another challenge is starting today at FarmQuest Country Christmas where we always allow entries with Anything Country & Christmas.


     I chose a pre-colored image from Anet Art Store.  I have a ton of images from that artist and I love them all.  Usually, I print them in gray scale and hand color them myself but this time the colors were so fabulous that I used their pre-colored image.  I cut it with a Spellbinders die, then inked the edges.  

     I used green CS for the card front, and added a scrap of dp from a Recollections stack.  I found the two little cardinals and the gold snowflake embellishment (also Recollections) in my Christmas stash.

     Challenges:


     I hope we're going to see you playing in our challenge this month.  Give yourself a good head start on your cards for next December and enter a country Christmas card.  We do love being inspired by what you make.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Monday, February 3, 2025

Butterfly Kind of Day

      Is anyone else out there looking forward to spring?  Yesterday,  the groundhog said another 6 weeks of Winter but I'm thinking of spring and butterflies and buds on the trees.  This challenge inspiration photo from Inspiration Station pretty much says it all.  :-D

     A new challenge starts today and, as always, we give you a photo for inspiration.  You can do nearly anything but we do want to know how you were inspired.  Was it the butterfly?  The colors?  The season?  A memory?  Tell us and add your project to the link up for the entries.

     Here's my card ad I've already told you that the butterfly was my inspiration.  The image is a clip art photo, edited so that the background stayed pre-colored but the butterfly was gray scale, and I colored it with ProMarkers and gel pens.  I cut the image with a Spellbinders die, and added a frame made with pumpkin CS and trimmed to fit.  I layered that onto two pieces of kraft CS, added to diagonal corners top and bottom.  

     The plaid background dp came from a Recollections stack which has been in my stash almost forever!  I ran across the stack last month, hidden away in a craft room cabinet, and decided it was time to start using the papers before they got brittle and crumbled to bits.  :-D


     Challenges:

     Come play in our challenge, won't you?  We love being inspired by what you create and enter.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie