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

Thankful Scarecrow

      It's been a couple of days since I posted anything but mother nature kind of controlled our weekend what with tropical storms and earthquakes swirling around us.  Nevertheless, I got to spend time hiding in my craft room so I worked ahead on a few DT projects and then created this card, using a Mariola Budek image.  If you follow my blog (or even visit fairly often,) you know how I adore her artwork/images.

     For this one, I colored with my Sanjoki markers, then cut the image (and the frame) with QuicKutz dies.  I used my 'Linen' embossing folder on the frame CS before layering on the image piece.  I cut the printed sentiment with a die from Avery Elle, and added a frame from a scrap of the same embossed CS.

     Because I mail so many of my cards, I try to keep them flat and simple but I have been playing with different ideas for the backgrounds, also wanting some visual or textural interest in even the simplest of cards.  For this card, I dug into my stash and found burlap paper from DCWV.  I trimmed it to fit the card front, then added the image and the sentiment.  

I pulled colors from the Outlawz color challenge.

     Challenges:

Carlin's Paradise (Autumn)

Crafts Galore ...

Digi Choosday

I Love Markers

Morgan's ArtWorld

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     That's it for today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Scarecrow Needs a Story

      Today I'm playing with an old, old, who-knows-how-old image which comes from Whimsy Stamps.  It's called Scarecrow and Friend and I don't even know if it's still in their store.  I know I got it more than 5 years ago, maybe longer.  I made it for a new challenge I found several days ago, There's a Stamp for That, and they have 3 concurrent themes for their challenge.  I chose the one about books and/or reading.

     I colored with ProMarkers, then cut the image and the mat with dies from Tonic Studios.  The mat was cut from a scrap of dp in the basket.  The books were hand drawn and fussy cut with scissors.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

I Love ProMarkers

Paper Funday

Passion for Markers

Penny's Paper-Crafty

TTCRD

Whimsey Inspiration

Word Art Weds

     That's all for today but check back this weekend for another post.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thanksgiving Sharing

      Another challenge starts today at QKR Stampede and runs for the next 2 weeks.  My DT card features an image called "Scarecrow and Friends" and I thought it really reflected the sharing we do at Thanksgiving when we all gather and share the feast (if not the cooking - lol) before us.  Sharing is just part of gratitude and thankfulness, I've found.

     The image is colored with ProMarkers and cut with a Spellbinders die.  The darker paper (which is dry embossed and lightly sanded) and the kraft CS pieces are scraps from the basket, as is the dp framing the fussy cut sentiment.  The pumpkin is fabric and the ribbon is grosgrain.  Everything was mounted onto a piece of white CS which I embossed with my Linen EF.

       I love coloring critters and use far more critter images than people but I'm trying to improve my coloring on people so I've begun looking for and using images which combine critters and people.  Here's another one.  To me, coloring fur or feathers is easier than coloring human faces and hair.

I chose my colors from the board at CMH Color Dare #468.

blue/orange/brown/tan/red + B&W

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Crafty Catz

Colour Crazy

Cutie Pie

Di's Digi Designs

Incy Wincy

Outlawz PAM

Pixie's Snippets

Three Room Studio

     I hope you'll come over and play in our challenge this fortnight.  We always have an "Anything Goes" theme so you may enter any card you like.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Harvest Scarecrow

     Well, I keep telling myself it's almost fall and that this hot, hot, hot summer will finally be over.  I'm trying to hurry it along by doing cards appropriate for fall and the holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving.  This week, I'll share my first cards for each of those.  Here's one for Thanksgiving.

Knowing I wanted something for autumn, 

I took my fall colors from the inspiration

at The Outlawz Color Challenge.

     This adorable image with the scarecrow and the owl is from Bugaboo Stamps and I'm entering their Bingo challenge by using the top row (gem, red, brad.)    I colored with my ProMarkers, then cut the image with a plain, square die (Spellbinders) and used a corner punch on it.  I die cut another larger square piece from yellow CS and used the same corner punch on it.

     I put the image onto dark brown CS, then added that piece to the yellow mat.  I found some metal, triangle brads and added them to three of the corners.

     I used burlap paper from my stash to make the card front, and then decided to use the same corner punch on the card itself.  When it came to embellishment, I added the paper flower with a gem in the center and called it finished.

    Challenges:
Crafty Friends
Delicious Doodles
Jo's Scrap Shack
Lemon Shortbread
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends
Scrapper's Delights
Simon Says Stamp
TTCRD

     I'll see you tomorrow with another card which also celebrates the end of summer.  I apologize to those of you in the UK who feel you've had no summer at all this year but out here in California we're roasted, toasted, and overdone!  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pumpkin Scarecrow

     I love this fun and funny scarecrow stamp from Beccy's Place!   I've seen lots of fall scarecrows but this is the first one I've seen made from pumpkins.

I used the sketch from The Outlawz, reversed.

     The scarecrow is colored with ProMarkers and cut to size.   The frame is a die cut (Bo Bunny) which I had to cut and enlarge to fit the stamp size.  Everything is mounted onto polka dot dp (DCWV - Midnight Chic) and I added two black roses for embellishments.  The sentiment is computer printed and hand cut.  

     Challenges:
Come and Get It

Crafty Awesomeness

Creative Inspirations

Double D

I {heart} ProMarkers

Mod Squad

Not Just Cards
Open Minded Crafting Friends

Penny's Paper Crafty

Petal Lu

Simon Says Stamp

Work It Weds

     Well, a new work week is starting today and I hope your weekend allowed you plenty of rest and recharge time so you're that facing it with plenty of energy.  Happy Stamping, my friends and followers.  NanaConnie 

Please continue to leave comments.  The "Word Verification" really isn't on.  BLOGGER INSISTS ON SHOWING THE "CAPTCHA" ICON BUT IF YOU IGNORE IT AND JUST PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT, IT WILL POST JUST FINE.  I WISH I COULD GET RID OF IT BUT THERE'S NO OPTION FOR THAT WHEN THE COMMENTS ARE WRITTEN IN A SEPARATE BOX. SORRY.

October Digi of the Month

     The October Digi of the Month challenge has already started over at Deedee's Digis.  If you played in this progressive challenge last moth, you should have already received your freebie image for this month.  If not, please contact Deedee through the challenge blog so that it can be sent to you.  The set this month is called "Pumpkin Patch" and there's a photo of the full set at the bottom of this post.

     First thing I must tell you is that I was inspired by a fellow DT, Kren @ A Fourth Life, and I just had to CASE the idea of the leaf embellies as she used them on this card.  Although, I admit I got a bit carried away with the idea!  Thanks, Kren, for the inspiration.  :-D  

     For my card, I used the pre-colored image, used ProMarkers to add the sky and to color the scarecrow's shirt so that it was more red.  All the leaves were individually hand-punched from scrap bits of CS, then added around the edge of the image, one by one.  That piece was adhered to a card base made from shiny CS.  I 'dyed' a white bow with a marker to get the shade of orange I wanted.  The sentiment is also from the set.

     Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge

Classy Cards n Such

Come and Get It

Crafty Sentiments Designs

Digitally Sweet

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Love to Scrap

Oddball Art

One Stitch at a Time

Outlawz Greetings

Paper Girls

Robyn's Fetish

Sisterhood of Crafters

Whimsy Inspiration

     Hey, it's Wednesday and that means we're half way to another weekend.  Why do the weeks go so quickly as we get closer and closer to the holidays?   Yikes, I already need more time to get everything done that I want to do before Halloween knocks on my door.  Happy Stamping.  NanaConnie