Artist Trading Card

      It's been a long time since I made an ATC but I was inspired by the free image over at the Conjuror of Dreams FB challenge this month.  That challenge used to e for just tags but now they've changed it to tags, ATCs, cards, whatever.  I adore this "New Beginnings" fairy.

     The image was pre-colored but I love coloring my own images so I printed her in light grayscale, then colored her with a combination of pencils blended with gamsol (the fairy), water colors (the background & sky), and used gel pens for highlights.  I cut the pointed-window shape (I don't know the correct architectural term for that window shape but they are really common in old Gothic era churches), and laid it onto a plain, white ATC.  I inked the edges and called it finished.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

AAA Cards

Addicted to CAS

Coloring w Pencils

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

     That's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pheasant Flight

      We have a new theme starting today for our latest FarmQuest challenge and the theme is "Turkeys, Pheasants, Peacocks, &/or Feathers."  Obviously, I opted for a pheasant.  :-D

     This clip art image was printed in grayscale onto pale blue CS, then colored with water color paints and pencils.  Once dry, I ironed the image flat (it curled a bit with the water color paints), then cut it with a QuicKutz die.  The plaid dp for the background came from a digital paper file which I sized to an A2 card size, then printed.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I left it without embellishments because it's such a perfect masculine card.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Coloring w Pencils

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR (pheasant in the sky?)

Polkadoodles

     Come play with us this fortnight.  We love seeing what you create and being inspired by it.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Zombie Scarecrow

      It's been such a long time since I joined a new DT but today, I'm excited to announce that I'm now on the team for Inspiration Station!  We are a monthly challenge and our challenges start on the first Monday of each month.  For inspiration, we give you a photo or a photo collage and ask you to create based on something in the photo that inspires you.  We really want you to let your imagination flow; you might be inspired by the colors, the season, some specific item in the photo, or just an emotion you feel when looking at the inspiration photo.  When you enter the challenge, tell us what it was that inspired you.

     Here's the inspiration photo for this month.  I took inspiration from the jack-o-lanterns and the colors, including the black background (see the bats and moons paper.)

and here's my DT card.

     

     This cute zombie scarecrow is a digital coloring book image, printed in grayscale and colored with watercolors, pencils, and Ohuhu markers.  I cut the image and the white frame with dies from a QuicKutz set.  The papers both came from a Recollections paper stack.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

4 Season

613 Ave Create

Aloha Friday

Aud Sentiments

Dream Valley

Outlawz Monday

Outlawz SAR

Pammie's IP

     Won't you please get inspired by something in the photo and come play with us this month?   We love being inspired by your creations, too.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Field Mouse

     It's time for another challenge to start over at FarmQuest, where our underlying theme is always something "farm or country."  On top of that, we have a specific theme for each challenge and this time we want to see "Critters that eat grain" or something closely related to that.

     I searched my clip art files for something appropriate and came across this little mouse on a wheat stem.  What could be more perfect?  I had a lot of fun figuring out how I wanted to best display the image and finally decided to make the background for the image by water coloring some wheat onto water color paper, letting it dry overnight, ironing it flat (since it has a tendency to curl up while drying), and putting that piece of paper into the printer, then printing the clip art image directly onto the background.  I used colored pencils and white gel pen to add highlights and deeper color to the mouse.  What do you think?

     I cut the image with a Spellbinders die, matted it with some light brown CS, and trimmed that with my paper cutter.  I made the background by digging through the scrap basket and finding a couple of dp and a strip of reddish-brown CS.  I ran the strip of CS through my Linen EF, then layered all three scraps onto the card front.  The image went on top of those, as did the sentiment which had been printed, then cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

     I hope to see you playing along in our challenge this fortnight.  There are so many options for you in finding a critter that eats grains; rodents, birds, deer, horses and cows, ... the list is endless!  Let your imagination flow and share with us what you create.  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bear-ly Old

      Today we begin our latest challenge at FarmQuest and our theme is "Things Found in a Forest."   I interpreted that very broadly and decided to find an animal that would inhabit the forest instead of just trees or plants.  This image of a bear is pencil sketched clip art.  I wish I knew the name of the artist but it came from a book of clip art coloring pages available online and there is no company or artist names on any of them.

     Although it may be difficult to see in the photo, after I printed the image I used a very pale, blue wash of watercolor paint over the entire image, then darkened the sketch using blue colored pencils and gamsol.  

     I cut the finished image with a Tonic Studios die, then printed the 2-part sentiment and cut those with dies from Avery Elle.  Everything was mounted onto a dark blue card front which I had embossed using my 'Linen' EF.  I made this as a birthday card for one of my grandsons who celebrated just a week ago.

      Challenges:

Addicted to CAS

Can You Handle ...?

Crafty Calendar

Lil Patch of ...

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Polkadoodles

WordArt Weds

     It would be wonderful if you'd come and play in our challenge.  Think of a forest, choose something you might find there, let it inspire your creativity, and enter it into our challenge.  We can't wait to see what you create!  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Beauty in the Desert

      There's a new theme for the new challenge at FarmQuest which starts today and the theme is "Things in a Desert or Dry Country."  For my DT card, I used a clip art image, printed in the lightest grayscale, and then colored with water color paints, Sanjoki markers, and white gel for the highlights.

     I used a Tonic Studios die to cut the image and a QuicKutz die to cut the white frame.  The pumpkin colored background is cardstock from Recollections.  The sentiment was stamped with a stamp from Cardz TV.   I was so in love with how the image turned out, I left the card very CAS with no embellishment whatsoever.

     Challenges:

Addicted to CAS

CAS on Friday

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

I Love Markers

My Time to Craft

Outlawz Friday (summer)

Simply CAS

    Hope to see you playing along in our challenge these next two weeks.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas Manger

      It's the 7th of July and time to begin another challenge at FarmQuest Country Christmas where out themes are always "Anything Country Christmas" goes.  Show us outside country decorations, scenes, or critters like these from Suzy's Zoo.

     I stamped the image, then colored it with water color paints.  The sentiment is part of the Suzy's Zoo set, stamped using a light coffee brown inkpad.  I cut it with an old QuicKutz die, and inked the edges with a marker.   The plaid paper came from a stack by Recollections, I think.  It was a scrap in the Christmas basket and I thought it made a perfect "country" element.

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Di's Digi Designsnull

Dragonfly Dreams

Gem of a Challenge

MFT Christmas

Outlawz Friday

     Don't forget to also check out my second post of the day for FarmQuest General Store which is a sponsored challenge and you could win the images used by the DT which came from QKR Stampede, the sponsor.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Mom & Apple Pie

      Oh, my, how can it be the 7th of May already?  This year is going by way too fast!  Well, in any case, it being the 7th of another month, I have two posts today; one for FarmQuest General Store (this one) and in a few minutes, a second one for FQ Country Christmas.

     Here at FQGS, we are always sponsored by QKR Stampede, and the prize is the three images used by the DT for the challenge.  For today's card, I used a darling little "Raggedy Ann" type image, called "Fresh Baked Pie."  The image was reversed before printing.

     I colored the image with watercolors and gel pens, then cut it with one of my oldest Spellbinders dies.  I inked the edges of the image, the sentiment, and the background dp with a pink ProMarker.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I found some delightful plaid dp for the background (Recollections, I think) and added a strip of burgundy ribbon for the wrap around and the hand tied bow.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Creatalicious

Creations in Pink

Digi Choosday

Let's Craft & Create

Pammie's IP

Star Stampz

     Come play with us this fortnight.  Remember, all you need is a card with a 'country' element (mine are plaid paper, home-baked pie, and a hand-sewn doll image!)  Beyond the country aspect, it's Anything Goes!

  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

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

Merry Cow-mas

      Another card for my cow-obsessed Texas Tech, granddaughter, who should be too busy taking finals and getting ready for a plane flight home to care about visiting my blog so I'm not too worried about her seeing it before she's here for Christmas.

     The image is another clip art I found and printed in grayscale before coloring it with water colors.  The 'spatter' was part of the original clip art and I loved it so much, I enhanced it with a Sanjoki marker.  I cut the image with an old Spellbinders die and found a scrap of Recollections dp to use for the background, then hand tied a tiny bow and added that to the cow's stocking cap.  Cute, but simple.

     Challenges:

     I'll have another post very, very late tonight for the newest challenge starting at FarmQuest.  Be sure to come back (tomorrow is fine - keeping in mind that with time zone differences, your tomorrow could well be my middle of the night!) and check out that post as well.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Light Unto the World

      Today, we start another new challenge at FarmQuest, where 'country or farm' is a necessary part of our challenge.  In addition to that, we give you a theme to follow.  This fortnight, our theme is "Lights."  Since Christmas is right around the corner, I decided to feature the kinds of lights we might associate with that holiday.

     I had two favorite images and I simply could not choose between them, so I did two inspiration cards for this challenge.  This first one is a classic candle lantern with holiday greenery, and I colored it with water color paints and a little dab of Stickles to make the candle light sparkle.  I used white gel pen on the snow.

     The image was cut with an Unbranded die, and the sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I used red CS on the right side of the card front and a scrap from an old K & Co. stack on the left card front.  The tiny gem on the sentiment piece is from Stampin' Up.

     Challenges: (for this card)

Creative Moments

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Jan's Digi Stamps

Simon Says Stamp

     The second card features a clip art image by Anton Peck, filled with street lamps and candles, printed in 10% gray scale (which leaves just a hint of original color), and colored with Sanjoki markers.  Again, I added Stickles to the candle flames, and highlighted the snow by using white gel pen on it.   I absolutely adore the old elves making their own music for Christmas caroling on a country village street.

     The image was cut with a Tonic Studios die, the sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, and both were layered onto a piece of red CS.  This card has to be mailed so I left it flat and CAS.

     Challenges: (for this card)

Christmas Kickstart

Digi Choosday

Holly & Ivy

Pammie's IP

Passion for Markers

     Come play along in our challenge.  It's open until December 13 and a new challenge will begin on December 14th.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Home for Christmas

      Another Friday and that means another new challenge at Crafty Catz.  Each week we have an "Anything Goes" theme but we also offer you an optional theme if you want to use it.  The option for this week is pretty easy, "Christmas or Winter."  Our sponsor is Hetty Clare, who generously provided images for the DT to use.  But I chose to use an image from my own collection of Hetty Clare images, called Pony Christmas.  I know horses aren't really part of the usual "Christmas critters" we all recognize but think of all the images and stories which involve a horse pulling a sleigh, or a coach, or a wagon and you'll know why horses are my favorite, majestic, winter/Christmas critter.  :-D

     I reversed the image before printing it, then colored it with water colors.  I used an old Spellbinders die to cut the image and backed it with red and gold striped paper from DCWV.  The sentiment was stamped with a rubber stamp from Memory Box.  That one has been in my collection of rubber stamps for many years now.  I rarely use it but got it out for this card.

     I thought the die cut frame was fancy enough so I added no other embellishment.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspiration

My Favorite Things

Outlawz Friday

Paper Dragonfly

     I hope we're going to see you playing along this week.  We have only this week and next week  before the DT and the challenge take  holiday break, returning in January, 2024.  Show us something you've made for Christmas or winter and enter our challenge before it ends on Thursday night.

     

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Bounty

      I had a fantastic day yesterday selling my cards at a rather large craft fair!  The fair has been an annual event for several years now, used as a fund raiser for one of our local private schools, but this is the first time I have participated as a vendor.  The one rule is that every vendor must be selling only hand-crafted items.   I focused primarily on Thanksgiving and Christmas cards, plus a few gift card holders, but did sell a few birthday, anniversary, thinking of you, and humorous general greeting cards.

     While I was sitting in my booth, I put together a lot of Christmas and Thanksgiving cards which I had prepared as kits (all the loose parts and pieces tucked into the envelope ready to be turned into a card) and I was just doing the final assembly phase.  But it drew people to my booth and they seemed to enjoy watching the process.

     Today (and in the upcoming week), I want to share with you some of those cards.

     This first one has a water color, clip art, image, with a merged sentiment, and it was cut with a QuicKutz die, then matted with orange, & then white, CS.  Both the striped dp and the flowers dp came from a DCWV autumn stack.

     Challenges:

     Hope you'll enjoy this and will visit again during the week to see more of them.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pipsqueak and Snowman

      It's Friday and that means another challenge is starting over at Crafty Catz.  We always have an "Anything Goes" theme but we offer you an optional theme if you choose to use it.  The option this week is "Sparkle."  Our delightful sponsor this week is Last Minute Manda and they supplied digis for the DT to use.  I chose "Pipsqueak and Little Snowman."  This image set actually has 6 different snowmen so it's really a bargain!

     I chose to water color the image this time, then I cut it with a QuicKutz die.  I printed and cut the sentiment with an Avery Elle die, added it on top of the image piece and trimmed the corners to fit the card.  I made the card base from green CS and added a sparkly silver mesh ribbon on the right.  I also finished the inside front flap but forgot to photograph it.  Very quick and simple, overall.

     Challenges:

     I'm looking forward to seeing you play in our challenge this week.  Remember, it's always Anything Goes but since it's definitely the time for making Christmas cards, it shouldn't be too difficult to add a bit of sparkle and do the optional theme, too.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Signs of Christmas

      I'm apologizing right now for being so late with this post but between internet connection problems and back pain problems all last week, I simply couldn't get it posted any sooner.  Nevertheless, here's two cards I did as DT inspiration for the challenge this week at Crafty Catz.  Our sponsor is Jan's Digi Stamps and they generously supplied images for the DT to use.  I chose to use both of them.  The first is called "Santa's Gift" (with the image reversed) and the second is "Christmas Skates."  The sentiments on both cards are from the Christmas Skates set.

     Santa is colored with water color paints, cut with my Fiskar's paper cutter, and the edges were inked with a Sanjoki marker.  The background dp came from a K & Co. stack and it has a decorative, die cut edge on two sides.  I found some lovely, silver, metallic ribbon in my stash and used it to do a quick wrap around the card front and to tie the bow.

     Challenges (1st card):

Crafts Galore ...

Creatalicious

Happy...Stampers

Jan's Digi Stamps

Kerst Christmas

SheepSki Designs

     Here's the second card with the Christmas Skates image and it's probably my favorite of the two.

     I colored it using my Sanjoki markers, then cut the image with a die from Tonic Studios.  I inked the edges with an ink pad.  The red background is dry embossed with snowflakes (easier to see if you enlarge the photo by clicking on it), and I used more of that silver ribbon to tie a simple but larger bow. 

 

     Challenges (2nd card):

Archi-scraps

2 Sisters on the Blog

Carlin's Card Paradise (Iceskates)

Die Cut Divas

Happy...Stampers

Jan's Digi Stamps

     So happy to be back online and to finally have this posted, even if it is 3 days late!  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie 

Thanksgiving in the Leaf Pile

      To answer your unasked question, "No, I don't think it's odd to be grateful for piles of leaves!"  Have you ever seen the joy of the faces of children as they jump and play in the leaf piles?  Be thankful for that joy.  :-D

     It's another first Sunday of the month and that means we have a new challenge starting at 613 Avenue Create.  Our theme is always "Anything Goes" but there's an optional theme each time and this month the option is "Embossing, wet or dry."  We have a sponsor this month, SheepSki Designs, and they provided images for the DT to use on their inspiration cards.  I chose to use "Catching Leaves."

     The image is colored with watercolors and white gel pen.  I cut the image with a Spellbinders die, and mounted it onto burlap paper from DCWV.  The dp in the background is a scrap of digital paper that was in the basket of autumn scraps.  The sentiment was printed and fussy cut.

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Gem of a Challenge

Let's Craft & Create

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

  

     I hope we're going to see you playing in our challenge this month.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Mail Early for Christmas

      Can you believe that Christmas is less than 2 months away?  Only 8 short weeks to get those cards made and in the mail !  So start thinking about jumping into the fray and working on those holiday cards you said you were going to start last March.  lol

     Today starts a new challenge at Crafty Catz where our theme is always "Anything Goes" with an optional twist if you want to use it.  The OPTION this week is "4 legged critters."  Our sponsor for the week is All Dressed Up and they supplied images for the DT to use.  I chose "Christmas Postie" for the adorable cat and dog (each with 4 legs!) putting their Christmas cards in the mail.

     I used water color paints, Sanjoki markers, and white gel pen to color the image, then cut it and the black frame with dies from Tonic Studios.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I dug through the Christmas papers drawer and found one in green and gold that I love, then used it for the background.  I added a strip of gold satin ribbon.

     Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

Classic Design

Christmas Kickstart

Creatalicious

Digi Choosday

Kerst Christmas

Rabisco

YSBP

     I hope we're going to see you playing in our challenge this week.  We love being inspired by you.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Life's Too Short ...

      Today's my daughter's birthday and I hope she's going to be far too busy to visit my blog (which she doesn't do that often anyway) because I'm posting her Halloween card.  Yes, she's an adult, and yes, she has kids in college, and yes, I send her (and everyone else in my family; kids, grandkids, great-grands) Halloween cards just because it's so much fun!

     But this one will have special meaning to her and that means I need to tell you a little bit about the business she runs.  She's a Color Street stylist and if you've never heard of Color Street, check out her FB site, Michele's Magnificent Manis.  Color Street is dry nail polish strips which go on in a jiffy and are dry to the touch as soon as they are applied.  Since she started her business about 4 years ago, I've been using Color Street on my own nails and I have to say I love the product.  Everybody asks if it's stickers or stick-on nails, but it's not.  It's real nail polish but it comes in strips, not in a bottle and there's no waiting for it to dry once applied.

     So, when I saw this fabulous digital coloring page over on the Bogema Books site, I had to buy the entire coloring book just to get this image.  What could be more perfect?  Tatiana Bogema is the artist and I do love her pages.  I also bought one of her Christmas books while I was there.

     I sized the image for an A2 card, then printed it and used water color paints for coloring it.  I cut it with my largest Tonic Studios rectangle die and matted it with both black and orange CS scraps, trimmed to fit.  The sentiment came from a sign my daughter has in her vendor booth when she does sales events.  It seemed perfect for this image!  Isn't this a scream?

     Challenges:

Aloha Friday

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Knockouts

Double D

Happy...Stampers

LeighSBDesigns

Paper Funday

Simon Says Stamp

Sweet Sketch Weds (scene)

     Sending a Happy Birthday wish to my daughter and thanks to all the rest of you for stopping by.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Swinging Halloween

      I fell in love with this image as soon as I saw it and knew it had to go on a card, even though it was designed originally (I think) as a coloring book page.  It was 1 of 3 mailed to me by a gal who wanted to know if I would color them for her.  She plans to use them as Halloween decor and they were coloring book size when she mailed them to me.  I asked her if I could scan this one and use it on a card and she said yes.  :-D  

     I scanned it, reduced the size, and deepened the level of gray scale before I printed it, making it look darker and spookier.  I used white gel pen to add highlights to the ghosties (they had darkened into the background and were nearly invisible), and purple water color on the background so that it looked more like Halloween.  In the photo, the purple seems to be pink but it really is purple!

     The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.

     This card goes to my great-grandson so I left it completely plain, just a fun, CAS, masculine card.

     Challenges:

AAA Cards

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Inspired By

LeighSBDesigns

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR  ("moon-tints of purple & pearl")

  

     What do you think, cute without being too spooky?  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie     

Happy Moo-lloween!

      The younger of my two granddaughters is attending Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX.  She was born in Texas but the family moved to California when she was Kindergarten age so returning to Texas has given her a different view of life.  

     Somehow, cows have become a running joke between her and the rest of the family, to the point where she has decorated her apartment with black and white cowhide patterns, and pictures of cows on the walls.  As you can imagine, the cow fascination has given me rich territory for cards.  :-D  Today's card is one of her Halloween cards.

     As soon as I saw this image (DeegitalMark), I had to grab it.  Then, as I searched that site (which was new to me) I saw more and more delightful cows dressed in Halloween garb and I ended up buying a set of 16 images.  I'm sending her several throughout the month, just to be funny.  This one was mailed last week.

     I printed the image in light grayscale, then used watercolors to color it, and added the pale gray shadow around the cow with marker.  I used a Spellbinders die to cut the image, and a QuicKutz die to cut the frame on which I had printed the sentiment.  I colored that frame orange with another marker, and inked the edges with a black ink pad.  The background paper was a scrap from the basket and I have no idea who made it.  I only know it's been in my stash of  leftovers for more years than I care to consider.

     Challenges:

Aloha Friday

Creative Fingers

Daisy Chain

Halloween AYR

LeighSBDesigns

Let's Craft & ...

Outlawz Friday

Star Stampz

Two Old Bats

WorldWide Crafters ...

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie