Boiled Spider w Peas & Carrots

      I just had to share this card today which features another of the silly spiders (creatures I despise IRL) from Zigi Designs and which is going to the dietician at our local senior center.  She's the one in charge of menu planning and she supervises the entire kitchen staff.  Fortunately, she has a tremendous sense of humor and I know she'll love it!

     The sentiment came out of my head when I wads thinking about a card for her and this spider dipping himself in the boiling cauldron lent itself well to the spirit of this card.  The image was cut with a Cottage Cutz die and I put the background together with paper scraps left over from a Recollections Halloween stack.  I printed and cut the sentiment with a small Tonic Studios die.

     Challenges:

Crafter's Cafe

Crafty Gals Corner

Creatalicious

Creative Inspirations

Just Us Girls

Lil Red Wagon

Simon Says Stamp

Star Stampz

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

If the Shoe Fits ...

      One more Halloween card which is another collaboration between my sis-in-law's coloring and my card making.  Everything I used on the card today came from my stash - no new products, not even the image!  I think this is an old Bugaboo Stamps image but I printed it so long ago that I can't really remember.  I found it in a file folder of things waiting to be colored.  I miss Bugboo!  :-(

     Colored with Ohuhu markers (with a salute to Pink for October Breast Cancer Awareness), cut with a Tonic Studios die, and inked on the edges with a black stamp pad.  I used black glitter CS on the card front and layered on the image, adhering it with double stick tape and a bit of craft glue to make sure it was secure.  I find that even the stickiest of double sided tapes doesn't always hold on glitter paper.

      I decided that the glitter was spectacular enough so went without any embellishments, just a CAS style card.

     Challenges:

CRAFT-alnica

Crafty Gals Corner

Digi Choosday

I Spy w My ... Eye

Paper Shelter

Penny's P-C

Shopping Our Stash

Simon Says Stamp

Try It on Tuesday

     That's it for today.  Maybe another post tomorrow depending on how much I get done today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Hansel & Gretel's Fat Old Witch

      I found a whole coloring book of ridiculous witches, called "Fat Old Witches" and I was laughing so hard as I went through them, I simply had to buy the entire book of them.  When I saw the expression on the face of this particular witch, I immediately thought of the double sentiment about Hansel and Gretel.  The company selling the set is called LovelyJPG.

     This one is pre-colored.  I was so excited about using it right away, I didn't even take the time to print it in grayscale to color it myself.  I will do that with some of the others but for now, I wanted to post this as soon as possible.  lol

     I cut the image with a QuicKutz die and rounded the corners with a Fiskars punch.  I inked the edges with a black ink pad.  I found scraps of two Halloween papers from a Recollections stack and used them for the background.  The sentiments were printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, then matted with black glitter CS scraps.

     Challenges:

4 Season

Classic Design

Crafter's Cafe

Creataliciou

Creative...Uncles

Dream Valley

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie    

Honey Bee

      The next challenge is starting over at FarmQuest, where we always want to see farm/country influenced creations but where we also have a specific theme for each challenge.  The specific theme this fortnight is "All About Bees."  That could be bees, honey, beehives, honeycomb, honey jars, even hexagons!  

     I chose this delightful image from SheepSki Designs showing the very first step in the process of making honey, a bee collecting nectar.  I colored the image with Ohuhu markers, then cut it with a QuicKutz die, and rounded the corners with a Fiskars punch.  The two papers for the background came from the scrap basket and they just worked so well together to give it that country flair, like a good old calico print paired with stripes.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Crafts Galore Encore

Do-Al(l) Kreatives

Lil Patch of ...

Love Those...Papers

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

Polkadoodles

SheepSki Designs

     Come play with us in this challenge.  We'd love to see what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Night of Witches

      One more Conjurer of Dreams witch, this one printed in grayscale and colored with my old ProMarkers.  I'm slowly shifting over to Ohuhu markers but I do love my ProMarkers and tend to grab them for certain projects.  My love affair with ProMarkers is more than a decade old but I wish they had brush tips and when I want brush tips, I go to my Ohuhus.

     Once colored, I cut the image with a large die from QuicKutz, then added a white frame because I knew I was going to put it against a dark background and I wanted the image to pop off the background.  I printed the sentiment onto the white frame before I cut it.  The background is dp from a Recollections Halloween stack.  I added no embellishments of any kind since I figured the dp was more than enough.  So, a really CAS card design that doesn't look CAS.

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Catz

Di's Digi Stamps

Gem of a Challenge

I Love ProMarkers

Love Those...Papers

Sisterhood oSS

     Happy Crafting.   NanaConnie

Witches and Spells

      I'm playing along in the Progressive Challenge at Moondrea Designs each month and this is the image given for October.  Isn't she a fabulous witch?  Colored with Ohuhu markers and cut with a Tonic Studios die, then the corners were done with a punch from Recollections.

     The blue background was textured with my Linen EF.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The bow was made with white ribbon, dyed purple with a marker, then hand sewn.  A tiny half-pearl was added to the bow.

Colors were pulled from the Outlawz Tuesday challenge.

  

     Challenges:

Can You Handle ...?

Crafty Catz

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspirations

Double D

Outlawz Thursday

Paper Funday

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Silver Fox

      Maya Silvercat is one of my favorite artists and I've introduced my sis-in-law to her artwork and digital images.  The image on this card was colored by my SIL, using Ohuhu markers (she has so thoroughly mastered alcohol markers in less than 2 months!)  I love how she decided to make the fox a silvery white.  Really masterful !

     I still haven't gotten her to actually make cards (or even scrapbook pages) with her colored images but we have this marvelous collaboration going, and I make cards out of her colored images.  Of course, I continue to color images myself, but this one is another of our collaborations.  :-D

      The image, once colored, was cut with a Tonic Studios die, and I inked the edges.   The background for the image was made by running a piece of charcoal gray CS through my Linen embossing folder. That added a delightful bit of texture.  The birthday sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  For the bow, I used white ribbon, dyed green with a marker, then hand sewn into the butterfly shape.  

     Challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms

Digi Choosday

DL Art

Pattie's Creations

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

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

Trick or Treat Cats

      When I ran across this adorable clip art image, I just had to see how it would look printed in grayscale and colored.  That's exactly what I did!  I colored with Ohuhu markers, added white highlights to their eyes and collars with a gel pen, then cut the image with a Spellbinders die.  I used a Fiskars punch on the corners.

     Although it's hard to see in the photo, I used my Linen EF to emboss the background, charcoal gray, CS.  The sentiment was printed and trimmed on my paper trimmer.  I sewed the little bow and dyed it orange, using a marker.  Bows have to be my favorite embellishment, partly because it's so easy to use them as the only embellishment.  There's a tiny, half-pearl in the center of the bow.  Very CAS design.

I pulled colors from AAA Colourful.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Crafter's Cafe

Creatalicious

Creative Knockouts

Inspired By

Outlawz Thursday

Starz Stamps

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bedtime on Christmas Eve

      Welcome to another challenge at FarmQuest General Store where our theme is always "Anything Farm/Country Goes."  We are sponsored by QKR Stampede and the prize is the QKR Stampede images which have been used by the DT in their inspiration cards.  The challenge runs until the  November 6th so you have plenty of time to get an entry done.

     For my card today, I used 'Night Time Owl' and decided to color him appropriately for a Christmas card.  The image is colored with Sanjoki markers and water colors.  I cut the image with a QuicKutz die and also cut the green CS frame around the image with a die one size larger.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  

     The striped and polka dot dp, which looks like one piece, is actually made using scrap strips of two different papers.  The sparkly CS was also a leftover found in the basket of holiday scraps.

     My "country" elements are: the owl, polka dots, & stripes.

     Challenges:

52 Weeks to Christmas

Creative Fingers

Outlawz Friday

Peace on Earth

Pixie's Snippets

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

    Come join our challenge this month.  We love seeing what you create!   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cockadoodle Christmas

      This is my second post of the day and it features my DT card for the newest challenge at FarmQuest Country Christmas.  This challenge runs from today through November 5 so you have plenty of time to enter.  Remember we always require a farm or country flair to your entries, and they must be for Christmas.

     When I found this clip art image of the rooster with his holly and the gingham ribbon he seemed perfect for a farmyard Christmas card!   I first printed the image in grayscale, then colored the image with Ohuhu markers.  I used a round Spellbinders die to cut the image. The sentiment was printed and cut using my Fiskars paper cutter.  The dp for the card front came from DCWV.

     Challenges:

12 Months of Christmas

Crafts Galore Encore

Kerst Christmas

Let's Craft & Create

Love Those...Papers

Mirtillamente

SheepSki Designs

     Be sure to check out my first post today which is about the new challenge over at FarmQuest General Store.  We look forward to seeing what you create for either of those challenges.  

     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

Garden Cat

      I needed a birthday card this past week and found this delightful digital coloring book image, which I reduced in size to fit onto a card.  Colored with Ohuhu markers and colored pencils, then cut with a QuicKutz die.  I used the next size larger die to cut the navy blue frame for the image.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     The background dp is from a DCWV stack.  The butterfly-shape bow is hand-tied and dyed with an old marker.

     Challenges:

Creative Friday

Inkspirational

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

SUYP Cats

Triple B

     That's all I have for today but tomorrow will bring you three DT post!  Be sure to stop by then.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Witch Wisdom

      I've discovered not only a new artist (new to me, anyway) but also a new challenge.  The company is called Conjurer of Dreams and Kim, the artist, does incredible things with AI !  I have to admit that I have already gone on a shopping spree in her Etsy shop.  :-D

     Today's card is an A2 size, a standard rectangle which happens to be the shape I make most often.  It's a favorite of mine simply because it fits easily into a regular size envelope and I don't have to go on a search for odd size envelopes or make my own envelopes (something I truly detest!)  I do make the occasional round or other shaped card and then I find myself scrambling for an envelope to fit.  Grrrr

     This is actually a pre-colored image which I printed in grayscale, and my sis-in-law did the coloring with Ohuhu markers so this is another collaboration.  I have another version of the image printed and I'll color it later this afternoon.  If I find the time, I'll edit this post and you can see both of them.

     The image and the frame were each cut with a Tonic Studios die.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. The background dp is from a Recollections stack and has gold embossing on the stars.  I left the card unembellished beyond that paper because I really wanted the image to have center stage.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Daisy Chain

Outlawz Friday

Outlawz Thursday

Two Old Bats

     Edited to add:  Yesterday I promised you that I would edit this post to share with you my version of coloring this image after printing it in grayscale.  I chose to use watercolors and colored her with a more purple palette, that being one of the modern Halloween colors.  I used ProMarkers to add orange to the flowers and the potion pots, and to color her skin.  I kept this card design very CAS with just the colored image on a white card front and I inked the edges of the card with a Tim Holtz inkpad.

      I'm going to enter this version into these challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Gem of a Challenge

I Love ProMarkers

Let's Craft & Create

Penny's P-C

Simply CAS

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Family Togetherness

      This is another collaboration card with my sis-in-law, Lainy.  A few weeks back, I introduced her to alcohol markers (a medium she had never used before) and her grasp of how to use them effectively came so quickly!  She is truly a fantastic colorist.  But the actual card making, layout, and design has become my end of the collaboration because she really loves the coloring more than the card making, which I love both ends of that particular crafting endeavor.  :-D

     The image on this card is clip art, printed in grayscale, and colored with Ohuhu mrkers.  I notice those are the markers she tends to grab first though I also have a wonderful array of ProMarkers and Sanjoki markers, plus a scattered few Copics.  Eventually, as the markers run dry, instead of refilling any of them, I'm shifting over to the Ohuhu markers altogether.

     I cut the image with a die from QuicKutz, then rounded the corners with a Fiskars punch.  I inked the edges of the image and layered it onto a piece of Recollections dp.  The black bow is a triple-loop bow made on my Zutter Bow-It-All and I used ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I have two of those bow makers (version 2.0 and version 3.0) and I wouldn't give them up for anything.  

     The only place I can find them anymore is on Amazon but having both of them means that Lainy and I can get work together making some good-sized bows for the holiday wreaths we are going to make for family.  We've been going through old crafting stash and scouring local craft stores for ribbons, wreath bases (all kinds), Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas 'foliage' picks, and small decorative bits that will enhance the wreaths.

     Ok, now for a look at the card.  I'm going to use this one for a Thanksgiving card.

     Challenges:

Colorful Options

Crafting Challenge

Crafty Gals Corner

Incy Wincy

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

Outlawz Weds

Penny's P-C

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Broom Flying - Pass or Fail

      Did you know that witches of any sort must take and pass a test before they are allowed to fly their brooms on Halloween?  That's true and I suppose it includes Harry Potter, too, but it certainly includes these little House Mouse critters.  :-D  

     This image was colored with Ohuhu Pastels for the leaves and grass and ProMarkers for the mice, the sky, and the brooms, then cut with a QuicKutz die.  Both of the white and orange frames were also cut with QuicKutz dies from that same set.  The background dp came from a Recollections Halloween stack.  I used my bow maker to tie the sheer bow with ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon.  I used that same ribbon to wrap around the card front.

     Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Double D

I Love ProMarkers

I Spy with My ...

Paper Funday

Paper Shelter

     That's it for today.  I may have another post tomorrow if I finish the card I have underway right now.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Hat that Doesn't Fit

      There's a story behind this card today and I will share with you the short version.  Belladona, the cat image from Beccy's Place, really wanted his own witch hat to wear on Halloween.  But his witch was so busy preparing potions and spells for the big, spooky night that she had no time to make one for him.  So she found one of her old hats (also a Beccy's Place image and it's a freebie on the challenge post today) and tossed it over to Belladona.  

     You can see Belladona's reaction in both his expression and in the sentiment.  :-D

     I merged the images together before printing it.  Even though the images are mostly silhouettes, I used Sanjoki markers to color the cat's eyes and the flowers on the hat.  They are from different sets but I think they work perfectly together.  I cut the merged images with a QuicKutz die, then rounded the corners with a Fiskars punch.

     The dp is from Recollections, the glitter CS is a scrap, and the bow is hand-tied, then dyed with a marker to get the exact orange I wanted.  The ribbon started out white.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I inked the edges of both the image piece and the sentiment with a marker.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Conjurer of Dreams

Crafting Challenge

Crafts Galore Encore

Critter Crazy

Die Cut Divas

Passion for Markers

SUYP Cats

     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

Birthday Card for a Leopard Lover

      Something a little bit different today, after a week of Halloween and Thanksgiving; a birthday card for a granddaughter who loves leopards!   No, not my granddaughter, but she is my grand-niece, she's my sis-in-law's granddaughter.  

     This is a pre-colored, clip art image, printed lighter and with the color saturation subdued by 40%.  It's amazing what can be accomplished with a little editing before printing.

     While I haven't yet convinced my SIL to get into the card making side of digital images, I did make her choose the shape of the card, the background dp (DCWV), and the ribbon (Place  & Time.)  We decided the birthday sentiment could go on the inside.  Image cut with Spellbinders die.  While I put the whole card together, the one part I chose on my own was the tiny, double layer, die cut flower which I layered on right where the ribbon ends meet.  I chose that instead of a bow.

     

     Challenges:

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Outlawz Thurs (Jungle Book)

Pattie's Creations

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

In the Pumpkin Patch

      Well, yesterday I shared a Thanksgiving card with you and today I've reverted back to another Halloween card, this one with an image from QKR Stampede.  Over the years that I was on the QKR Stampede DT, I'll bet I used this image every Halloween for at least 8 years (which is pretty much every year I was on the team!)  It's a favorite of mine but this time I get to share it as another collaboration with my sis-in-law doing the coloring of the image with Ohuhu markers and me putting the card together.

     The colored image was cut with a Spellbinders rectangle die but I rounded the corners with one of my Fiskars punches.  I did the same thing with the frame around the image, cut with a Spellbinders die and corners rounded with the Fiskars punch.  My sis-in-law loved the shape and asked me to cut more of her colored images that way when turning them into a card.  lol  She's getting hooked on the card making process, ... slooowly.  Just not yet ready to try her own hand at it.  

     (I made another card yesterday afternoon as a birthday card for one of her granddaughters but I made her choose the image, the size and shape of it, plus the paper for the background and all I did was choose one little embellishment.  Maybe I'll share that card tomorrow.)

     I used paper scraps which originally came from a Recollections Halloween stack to make the background.  I combined the two of them because neither was large enough to cover the entire card front but even with different size stripes, they worked together so well.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a small Tonic Studios die, then framed with a scrap bit of CS.

     Challenges:

Crafts Galore Encore

Do Al(l) Kreatives

Four Seasons

Halloween AYR

Krafty Chicks

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

SheepSki Designs

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Thankful ?

      I think the image I used on today's card is an old one from Eureka Stamps but to tell the truth, I printed it out last year, didn't label it, and am guessing.  If I'm wrong and you know who drew this image, please let me know.  I believe in giving credit to the artists when I know who they are.

     I colored the image with Ohuhu markers and added highlights with a white gel pen.  I cut the image with a  QuicKutz die and cut the frame with a second die from that same set.  The frame is brown CS.   The background paper is dry embossed with one of my EF, but I don't remember which one.  It has a 'leather' look and feel.  I added a tiny, double layer, butterfly which had a little seed bead for the body.  Despite the butterfly, I plan to use this as a masculine card for one of my great-grandsons.

      Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Paper Funday

Paper Shelter

Passion for Markers

Simon Says Stamp

     Have yourself a great day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Waiting for Halloween

      Today I'm sharing another of the Halloween cards I've made and we've made a lot of them in this household this year.  As I shared yesterday, my sis-in-law and I are sharing a house now and since we're both crafty people, we're delighted with the arrangement.  But between the two of us, we now have nearly 50 family members, including grands and great-grands (and a few extra friends) who will get cards from us for holidays, birthdays, etc. so she's coloring like mad and I'm turning those colored images into cards.  So far, we have about 36 Halloween cards made, some of which she colored, some of which I colored.  I colored the QKR Stampede image on today's card.

     I dearly love this old broom and have used it before on non-Halloween cards but this year it just seemed to speak out as a witch's broom so I colored it with my ProMarkers, cut it with a QuicKutz die, inked the edges with a marker, and added the sentiment (cut with an Avery Elle die.)  I made the background by using a scrap of dp which came from a Recollections stack.  I just thought all the mummy eyes peeking out added to the sense of waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the witches to arrive.  (Kind of like waiting for the cooler fall temperatures to arrive out here where I live!)  :-D

 

     Challenges:

Double Trouble

Inspired By (theme & colors)

I Love ProMarkers

Krafty Chicks

Pammie's IP

Paperminutes

Passion for Markers

Simon Says Stamp

     Enjoy your day and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Birthday Owl

      In the last few months, my life has become so much more fun and interesting.  My sis-in-law and I now share a house and we are both crafty, creative people.  She has gotten me addicted to the various craft related posts found on YouTube (something I never browsed before this) and I've introduced her to coloring with alcohol markers (something she had never tried although she's a fantastic colorist with other media like pencil, watercolor, paints, etc.)

     I haven't gotten her into the card making side yet, but she's happy to color and then let me make the cards.  So, today's post features one of our first collaborations - the coloring is hers and the card design is mine.

     She colored a Maya Silvercat image with Ohuhu markers.  I cut the image and the kraft CS frame with dies from Tonic Studios.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and matted with a scrap of kraft CS, trimmed to size.  The card front is plain, lime green CS.  CAS to show off the magnificent image!

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Dragonfly Dreams

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

Polkadoodles

     That's it for today but the rest of the week, we have some adorable Halloween and Thanksgiving cards to share.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

All About Halloween COWS???

      I know after that title on this post, I'm going to have to do some explaining.  We don't automatically associate cows with Halloween.  But my granddaughter invented this silly game to be played on long car trips (or train journeys) the object of which is to count (and thereby 'collect') cows seen from the windows.  The person with the most cows at the end of the trip wins.  What they win is still uncertain, but win they do!

     Somewhere along the way, additional rules got added, things like the first person to spot a graveyard (ah ha! a connection to Halloween!) or a sign pointing out the road to one, gets to keep all their cows but everyone else's cows die and are gone forever.  

     Out of that game, came a love for cows of all kinds but mostly the adorable Highland cows with the moppy hair or at least black and white cows.  Her apartment is now decorated with all kinds of cow decor, including a black and white spotted refrigerator.  lol  Her boyfriend is barely tolerant of all the cows, mostly rolling his eyes when they are mentioned or when some new addition arrives to join the herd.  I don't know if the fact that she attends college in Texas makes it better or worse, but I make and send her cow related cards for all occasions and sometimes for no occasion at all.

     Of course, Halloween is right around the corner and I was fully prepared to find another Halloween Cow image but then I discovered some hilarious digital images from Zigi Design Studio, fell in love, and all plans changed.  I knew I'd get feedback from her demanding to know why there were no cows this time, so I built in the answer in card sentiments on both her card and her boyfriend's card.  

     I used my favorite Halloween greens and oranges, and of course the standard black.  See below, where I share both of them.

Her card.

     

      Challenges (Her Card):

Creative Inspiration

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

LeighSBDesigns

Night Owls

Outlawz Friday

SUYP Cats

His card.

     She'll giggle and he'll be very satisfied over winning one.  lol

     Challenges (for His Card):

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Inkspirtional

Love Those ... Papers

Polkadoodles

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Reaping

      Today we start a new challenge over at FarmQuest and our specific theme is "Farm tools that cut."  We always have an underlying theme of Farm or Country, meaning outdoors, farm house, farm fields, crops, animals, etc.  We don't want to see city streets or cityscapes with high rises.  :-D

     I chose a fun, vintage clip art showing a woman reaping with a hand sickle.  I'll bet the farmers and farm wives are glad they don't have to do an entire field that way any more!  This is a pre-colored image and I used it 'as is' instead of printing it in grayscale and coloring it myself.  I was running short of time that day and pre-colored seemed the easiest.  

     I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die and framed it with a scrap of polka dot CS from an old DCWV stack.  The upper background is handmade using watercolor paper and watercolor paints.  The gingham check is from the scrap basket and seemed perfect for this card. 

     The butterfly embellishment was made using a Cottage Cuts die, cutting twice, making a double layer and adding a long, wooden bead for the butterfly body.

     Challenges:

     Come play in our challenge this next fortnight.  We love being inspired by what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

The Halloween Shuffle

      This Country Couple really knows how to shuffle it on the dance floor!   I adore this image and can hardly believe this is the first time I've used it, considering how long I've had this set.  It came from Jan's Digi Stamps and the set is called "Pumpkin People."  

      For this card, I started with one of the pre-colored images, printed it in grayscale, then colored it with my Sanjoki markers and colored pencils.  The cat image (and the sentiment) was merged with the pumpkin people before printing, and I kept it as printed, no additional coloring.

     I cut the image with an old QuicKutz square die.  I found a scrap of Halloween paper for the background, layered the image onto it, and kept it very simple with no embellishment of any kind.

     Challenges:

I Love Markers

I Spy with My ...

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Star Stampz

SUYP Cats

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie