Spotlight Rooster

      It's a new day and a new challenge at FarmQuest, where we always have a farm or country requirement but we add a specific theme to that and this time the theme is "Farm or Forest Animals starting with the letter R."  That could include rams, rabbits, raccoons, Rock Hoppers, (rhinos?) -- let your imagination roam.  :-D  I chose something very farm oriented and very simple: a Rooster!

     I have an all-abiding love for the old "spotlight" technique but I forget to use it.  So, when I found this grayscale image, I printed it twice, then colored the rooster's head and neck (plus the background around his head) with Sanjoki markers and watercolors on the background.  Alcohol markers are my favorites for coloring but I also love combining them with watercolor because the two together give such a delightful contrast to each other; markers for depth and definition and watercolors for soft, undefined washes of color.

     I used a Spellbinders round die to cut out the 'spotlight' and carefully lined it up on the grayscale background.  I also inked the edges of the circle with a black ink pad just so the spotlight piece would pop off the background.

     The plaid paper (which I think always lends an air of farm or country) came from Beccy's Place and it's digital.  I printed it with my printer and cut it to size for the card front.  The sentiment was printed and cut with a Tonic Studios die.  I used markers to ink the edges of both the image and the sentiment before layering the onto the background dp.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Aud Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Polkadoodles

     That's all I have for today but I hope we're going to see you playing along in our challenge this fortnight.  What could be more fun that figuring out what letter "R" farm or forest animal you want to enter?

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Little Sparkle

      Hello, friends and followers.  I'm finally getting back to the monthly challenge over at Beccy's Place.  It's been a while since I played last and I want to get back into a regular routine of playing there each month.  For this card, I used her lovely "Hydrangea" image and one of her sentiments, also.

     This is a pre-colored image because I needed a fast and simple card for a friend.  I merged the sentiment onto the image before printing, then cut them with a Tonic Studios die.  The sentiment inspired me to dig through my collection of glittered CS stacks and this one seemed to bring out the bits of purple in the flower petals so it got the nod.  I cut a piece to the size of the card front, layered it on, then added the image.  Quick and easy card and really CAS but with lots of eye appeal.

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Gem of a Challenge

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's IP

     Happy crafting to all.  NanaConnie

Sweet Tulip Mouse

      This image is from Di's Digi Designs and I printed it ages ago.  It's been sitting in a folder, waiting to be colored.  I ran across it this past weekend when I was cleaning, clearing, and reorganizing the craft room.  I colored it with my Sanjoki alcohol ink markers, then cut it with an old Spellbinders die.  I inked the edges with an ink pad.

     I decided it would make a great birthday card, so I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die.  The background dp came from a DCWV stack.  I found a long scrap of gold ribbon in the stash and  did both a wrap around the card front, plus hand-tied a bow.

     Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Crafty Calandar

Creative Moments

Cutie Pie

Dream Valley

Love...Pretty Papers

Pammie's I P

Polkadoodles

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Garden Potting Sheds

      Here it is the end of the second week of the month and  new challenge is starting at FarmQuest.  Our underlying theme is always "Farm or Country" and this challenge we have a specific theme of "Garden Sheds or Potting Sheds."  

     I found this delightful clip art image which I printed in very light grayscale, and then colored with watercolor paints.  I added highlights to the sky, flowers, and colored the butterflies with gel pens.  Rather than die cutting the image, I tore the edges revealing the white center of the CS and I used pale blue chalk on the white bits of the torn edge.

     The background dp came from an old Recollections stack.  I printed the sentiment, cut it with an Avery Elle die, and layered it onto the background along with the image.  A pretty simple card but one which allows the image to take center stage.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafter's Cafe

Creatalicious

Creative Inspiration

Creative Knockouts

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

     Feel free to come and play along in our challenge this fortnight.  Any garden shed or potting shed will qualify for an entry.  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Anemone Maiden

      I'm so excited about finding a new progressive challenge, this one at Moondrea Designs (formerly Moon Flower.)   This is the first image given to the players and she's called "Anemone Maiden."  I can't tell you how much fun it was to color her!  I had to go to their Etsy shop and buy a couple more images because I couldn't just wait until September to get the next progressive image.  :-D

     I colored her with my Sanjoki markers, adding highlights to all the pearls with a white gel pen, then cut the image with a Tonic Studios die.  I inked the edges with a Tim Holtz ink pad.  The woodgrain paper for the background came from a DCWV stack (a very old stack which has been in my stash for at least 8 years!)  I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die, then matted it with a scrap of the background dp and trimmed it to size.  The two little flower embellies are from Petaloo.  

     I've already put this one in my stash of birthday cards and I'm sure it'll be used within the next month.  Summer seems to be a busy time for family birthdays around here.

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Cupcake Inspirations

Gem of a Challenge

Let's Craft & ...

Lil Patch of ...

Penny's P-C

Star Stampz

Triple B

     Have yourself a wonderful day and find some time to craft if that makes you happy.  Stay out of the heat or the humidity and especially the flooding rains left over from tropical storm Debby.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

I Know, I Know !

      Time for another challenge at FarmQuest General Store where our theme is always "Anything Goes" and where we are always sponsored by QKR Stampede.  The prize is always the three QKR images used by the DT for their inspiration cards, and you can be certain they are cute, cute, cute.  Occasionally, we are given realistic animal images and even those are 'cute' in their own way.  

     Be sure to check out the main challenge blog to see all the images we used this month.

     I chose the image called "Got the Answer" and colored it with ProMarkers and gold paint pen.  I cut the image with an old Spellbinders rectangle die.  I sorted through my scrap basket and found two patterned papers which I trimmed to size, plus a scrap of purple CS, then I layered all those together with the image.  I printed and cut the sentiment with an Avery Elle die, and layered it onto the purple scrap.  I thought the plaid and the old sheet music added an extra bit of country flair.

      Challenges:

Aud Sentiments

Creative Fingers

Love ... Pretty Papers

Paperminutes

Pixie's Snippets

Polkadoodles

     Come play with us this month, won't you?  We love being inspired by you and what you make.  Happy Crafting.   NanaConnie

Checking the List

      We all know that Santa has a long list of good and bad children and that he checks it continuously from August right through until Christmas Eve.  I decided to celebrate his faithful endeavors in that arena by putting together a Country Christmas card for the newest challenge at FarmQuest Country Christmas.  We always have an "Anything Country Christmas Goes" theme so you have to imagine Santa pacing around in the snow in front of the toy shop which he checks that all important list!

     The image came from QKR Stampede and it's called "Checking it Twice."  That seemed a perfect phrase for the sentiment so I used it.  The image is colored with Sanjoki alcohol markers, cut with a QuicKutz die, and inked on the edges.  The two papers for the background came from a Recollections stack which has been in my stash for at least 5 years!  I think it has a nice country (and Christmas) feel to it.

     I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die.  Nice simple Christmas card; one more for the holiday stash.

     Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

Crafty Gals Corner

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Holly & Ivy

Kerst Christmas

Outlawz Friday

Peace on Earth

Penny's P-C

     I hope you'll come and play with us this challenge.  Create something that has a Country Christmas feel to it and enter it into the challenge.  We look forward to seeing what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

It's Hot !

      For those of you living where the summer weather is really hot this year, or those ladies who are living through that period of life where "hot" is a relative and transitory thing, you should love this card as much the lady for whom it was made.  lol

     The image is clip art which I printed in light grayscale and then colored with my Sanjoki markers and white gel pens.  I cut it with a Tonic Studios die and inked the edges with a black ink pad.  The background dp came from a Recollections stack.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  Very CAS in design.

     Challenges:

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Knockouts

Creative Inspiration

Carlin's ... Paradise

Crafts Galore ...

Four Seasons

Simon Says Stamp

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie