Happy Snow Couple

      Last week, I would have told you that this cute snow couple might be in danger of melting but our weather has turned chilly again and that now seems less likely.  I guess the groundhog was right about 6 more weeks of winter!  

     My card today is my DT inspiration piece for the challenge at FarmQuest Country Christmas.  Our theme is always "Anything Country and Christmas Goes."  We want to see outdoor, country, Christmas scenes on your projects but beyond that, anything is OK.  I think 2 snow people in the woods qualifies, right?

     The image came from Anet Art Store (I have a growing collection of her art) and it was colored with watercolor pencils, plus white gel pen for the snowflakes and highlights..  I used a Spellbinders die to cut the image, and I inked the edges with a red ProMarker.  The background dp came from Recollections.  That's been a favorite of mine and I've been hoarding scraps of it, using bits and pieces to patch together backgrounds for cards.  I'm not completely out of it yet, but the scrap stash is getting thin and I think I have only one full sheet of it left uncut.  

     I printed out the sentiment, cut it with an Avery Elle die, and added it to the bottom corner.  Overall, a very CAS card but the dp makes it look busy.  :-D

     Challenges:

    

     This is my second post today and my first one was for the challenge at FarmQuest General Store.  If you'd like to see that one, just scroll down one post.  For either challenge, we'd love to see you playing along this month.  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Welcome Country

      Our newest challenge has begun at FarmQuest General Store, where our theme is always "Anything Country Goes."  No cityscapes, shopping malls, crowded freeways, or high rises; just calm and lovely country scenes.

     The image I used on my DT card today is a clip art image, colored with Sanjoki markers to give it a sepia effect, with yellow and white gel pens used to give the lights their warm glow.  The sentiments at top and bottom were originally white but I used a beige marker to tone things down a bit.

     The image was cut with a Tonic Studios die, then I cut a white CS frame for it (also a Tonic Studios die from the same set.)  I inked the edges of that before adding the piece to the background dp, which came from an old DCWV stack.  That pad of papers has been in my stash for probably 5 years, unused, and that page seemed to be perfect for this "country" card!

     Challenges:

     I'll have a second post today for FQ Country Christmas so be sure to scroll up to see it, too.  Hope you'll come over and play in our challenge this month.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Easter in Blue

      Hey, guess what?  There's a new challenge starting today at Inspiration Station where we offer a different picture each month for inspiration.  Our challenges begin on the first Monday of each month and  ends on the Saturday before the next challenge begins.

     Here's our inspiration picture this month:

     Of course, it made me think of Easter and Easter bunnies so when I found the delightful image of Mrs. Bunny sporting her Easter bonnet, I had to use it (see card below.)  

     The image was originally a grayscale line drawing but I used blue colored pencil to go over each line and added white gel pen to each of the flowers for a highlighting effect. My favorite technique these days is to color grayscale images!  

     I added the sentiment to a scrap of white CS and mounted the colored image onto it.   Both of those were cut with QuicKutz dies.  That went onto a layer of gray, cross hatch dp.  I doodled around two edges of the dp and added everything to the card front.

     

     Challenges:

2 Sisters...Blog

Crafts Galore Encore

Critter Crazies

Die Cut Divas

Do-Al(l) Kreatives

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's IP

Simon Says Stamp

     That's all I have for today but I hope to see you playing along in our challenge.  Let us know what in the photo inspired you.  Was it the bunnies, or maybe the sense of spring?  the colors?  maybe the sweet little bunny kiss?  Make something and enter it into the challenge before Saturday, April 5.  Because of the way the dates fall, you get almost a week of extra time before the March challenge closes.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

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:

As You Like It

Inspired By ...

Lil Patch of ...

Night Owls

Pammie's IP

Penny's Paper Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     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

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:

Girlz Creative Fun

Hand Stamped ...

Lawn Fawnatics

Pammie's IP

     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:

A Place to Start

Aud Sentiments

Simon Says Stamp

ZieloneKoty

     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:

Night Owls

Path of Positivity

  

     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

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

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:

613 Ave Create

Aud Sentiments
Cupcake Inspirations

Lil Patch of ...

Neglected Stuff

Outlawz SAR

Pammie's IP

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

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

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:

Lil Patch of ...

Love ...Pretty Papers

Neglected Stuff

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

Simon Says Stamp

Triple B

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

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cozy, Country Home

      Good morning and welcome to our latest challenge at FarmQuest.  

     Our theme for the next month is "Hibernating Animals."  I chose a bear and found this adorable clip art image which I printed in gray scale before coloring with my ProMarkers.  The sentiment was merged with the image before printing.

     I cut it with a die from QuicKutz, leaving a tiny white border, and then inking the edges with a marker.  I added chunky glitter to a piece of white CS and used that for the background.  I thought it gave the entire card a nice, 'wintery-nap' feel.

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Creative Moments

Di's Digi Designs

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

     Remember that this challenge runs until February 27 so you have lots of time to find that perfect image of a hibernating animal (squirrels? chipmunks? burrowing owls? polar bears?) and enter a card into our challenge.  Hope to see you playing along.

    

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Another Gnome (and more to come)

      Earlier this month, I did a post showing you a divergence from my normal card making and shared these gnomes: Not a Card!  My good friend Lynn (we've been blogging buddies for several years now and have served on more than one DT together) fell in love and told me if I ever decided to go into business selling them, she would sign up to buy the first one.  :-D  How sweet of her.  So, I knew I had to make another one just for her (as a gift. :-D)

     I knew her favorite color was blue, which helped me determine the color scheme for him.  I used a coat pattern which I bought from Duane K. King (search his name on YouTube if you're interested), sewing blanket stitches all around it, and even added a vest.  The hat also came from watching Duane's YouTube videos, appropriately 'squashed' to get the folds in it.

     I get to share this with you today because Lynn let me know she received the gnome in her weekend mail.  So glad you love him, Lynn. :-D

 

     I hope you enjoy him as much as Lynn does.  I'm hooked on making them and have another two finished, both of which happen to be girl gnomes.  I'll share photos of those in the upcoming weeks.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Carnation Lady

      I'm finally getting around to posting a card for the progressive challenge over at Moondrea Designs this month.  I had problems for several days getting the image to print out but Wendy managed to send me a Word document with the image and I was ale to print that just fine.  Thanks so much, Wendy!

     The image is called "Carnations" and once I had it printed, I was able to color it with a combo of Sanjoki and Ohuhu markers.  After coloring it, I cut it with a Tonic Studios die.  The pink CS frame was cut with my Fiskars paper cutter and I mounted the image piece onto it.  The background dp came from a DCWV stack.  I found that delightful, embroidered ribbon in my stash of Christmas ribbons and I'm pretty sure it came from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

     Challenges:

     That's all I have today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Be a Unicorn

      I made two DT cards this month for Star Stampz, where our OPTIONAL theme is "Inspired by a Song."  My first card was inspired by "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and this one is inspired by "The Unicorn Song," sung by the Irish Rovers.  If you click on the song name, it will take you to a YouTube site where you can hear the song (and see all the lyrics) if you're not familiar with it.

     And if you are familiar with it, I can just about guarantee that the refrain is running through your head right now and it will be hours before you can get rid of it!  lol 

     Anyway, my card features the Star Stampz image called "Unicorn Princess" and I think she's adorable.  I colored the image with Sanjoki markers, then cut it with a QuicKutz die.  I used a Fiskars punch on the corners for some visual interest, then layered the image onto a square of purple CS and rounded those corners with a punch from Uchida.

     The plaid dp came from a DCWV stack and the ribbon was in my stash.  The gold butterfly is a sticker from Stamp On It.

     Challenges:

     That's all for today.  You still have almost a week to join in our challenge and we'd love to see you playing there.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Feed the Birds

      I'm honored to be a guest designer for Penny's Paper-Crafty this fortnight and the sponsor of the image I used is All Dressed Up.  They supplied images for the DT and GD to use.  I used an image called "Feeding the Birds."  I thought it made a perfect winter card.  

     Colour of Love is the second sponsor for the challenge this month.

     I colored the image with a combination of Sanjoki and ProMarkers, then cut it with a die from Tonic Studios.  I used a Fiskars punch on the four corners.  That piece was mounted onto a rectangle of deep blue CS.  I cut the sentiment with a QuicKutz die and framed it with a scrap of the blue CS that framed the image.

     The snowflake dp came from a DCWV stack and I added some texture by dry embossing it with a brand new folder from Sizzix (thank you, Santa!)  My final touch was to embellish the card with a hand-tied, double loop bow made with simple red twine.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Creative Moments

Dream Valley

Make My Monday

Outlawz Tues

Pammie's IP

Paper Shelter

Passion for Markers

Simon Says Stamp

     I hope we see you playing in the challenge this time around.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

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

The Dragon & the Knight

      Guess what?   There's a new challenge starting today at Star Stampz and it's the first one of 2025.  Boy, I'm not used to typing 2025 yet.  I had to go back and correct it from typing 2024.  :-D  Our theme is always Anything Goes with an optional theme.  This time, the option is "Inspired by a Song."

     I took that to heart and went searching for a Star Stampz image that had a dragon because "Puff, the Magic Dragon" was running through my head.  The image is The Dragon and the Knight.  I colored it with my Ohuhu markers, then cut it with a Tonic Studios die, and cut the corners with a Uchida punch.  

     I did the same things to a piece of DCWV dp and used it for the frame around he image.  The background was made with another piece of dp from that same DCWV stack.  I know I tend to use DCWV papers more than any others and part of that is because they are a favorite of mine but also because I own more DCWV stacks than any other brand.  That may have happened because when I first started paper crafting, the craft store where I made my purchases back in those days carried mostly DCWV,  I've used other brands over the years but I still tend to go back to DCWV.  (and I have a HUGE stash of it which I'll never use up, even if I live to be 100!)

     I added a wrap of purple Really Reasonable Ribbon and tied a bow with it also.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafty Catz

DL Art

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

Penny's P-C

Word Art Weds

     Come play with us in this challenge, won't you?   If you don't find yourself inspired by a song, you can always enter an Anything Goes card.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Not a Card !

      I know I post cards 99.98% of the time but today I want to share something new in my lineup of projects, a fun take on the rage for gnomes.  I adore gnomes but up until last month, I was buying gnomes made by other people.  I have colored my share of gnome images and made cards with them, but these 3D gnomes are the first of their kind I've made.

     These are made from craft foam cones, felt squares (which have been in my crafting stash forever and the package hadn't even been opened!) and faux fur, following a pattern I found on Duane King's YouTube site.  The fawn brown gnome with the pointed (but crumpled) hat is his Wizard pattern and the taller gnome is from the Gnome with Coat and Top Hat pattern.  They are approximately 6.5 inches and just under 8 inches tall.

     While I think these are cute enough, I also know that my finished gnomes will get better as I make more of them.  In the meantime, I thought I'd share my first efforts.  :-D

     

     Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

Outlawz PAM

Sisterhood of Snarky ...

     Enjoy and Happy Crafting!  NanaConnie

By-Gone Days

      I had a request last month for a masculine card for my neighbor's father.  He's turning 91 in mid-January and has been a lifelong farmer in the central valley of California.  The request fit in perfectly with the new challenge starting today at FarmQuest General Store (Anything Goes but must have a farm or country feel) and I decided on blues and browns.  That's almost always a perfect color combo for a masculine card.

      What could be better for a lifelong farmer than an image of long forgotten farm equipment, tucked away in a dusty corner of an old barn?   This is a pre-colored, clipart image to which I added the sentiment before printing it.  I cut it with a square, QuicKutz die, added a frame made from white CS, cut with a die from Spellbinders.  The striped dp is from an old DCWV stack, and I added a bit of left over burlap fabric from another project I had worked on last month.  It seemed to give perfect texture and eye appeal without being too frou-frou as an embellishment.

     Challenges:

613 Ave Create

Creative Fingers

Gem of a Challenge

GMGC

Love Those...Papers

Outlawz Friday (used blue)

Pattie's Creations

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in our challenge this month.  Anything with a country or farm flair can be entered and we'd love to be inspired by you.  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

A Gnome's Country Christmas

     Here it is the end of the first week in January and we have a new challenge starting at FarmQuest Country Christmas.   While our themes are pretty much "Anything Christmas Goes," we do require that your projects have a farm or country aspect to them.  So, outdoors rather than indoors, fields and open spaces instead of city streets or skylines, trees and bushes rather than fancy furniture, and of course, Christmas!

     My card today features a darling little gnome from Anet Art Store and I printed the image in gray scale, then colored him with my Ohuhu markers.  Once colored, I used a QuicKutz die to cut the image and I inked the edges.  I put the background together with green CS and a scrap of dp from DCWV.   I wanted plenty of trees so that you'd know it was an outdoor scene so in addition to the trees in the image and the dp, I added little, felt trees along the left edge which were cut using a Cottage Cuts die.

     Challenges:

Color My Heart

C.R.A.F.T.

Crafts Galore Encore

Crafty Calendar

Creative Knockouts

Just Us Girls

Kerst/ Christmas

Outlawz Friday

Paper Shelter

Peace on Earth

     Won't you come play with us this month?  We love being inspired by you.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Winter Birds

      Here it is, time for the first challenge of the new year over at Inspiration Station.  We always give you a photo for inspiration and you may create anything you like but be sure to tell us what from the photo inspired you.  Here's the photo for this month and I was inspired by the wintery scene and the bird.

     I found a clip art image from Trendy Clipart which I reversed, printed in grayscale, & then colored with my new set of water colors (thank you, Santa.)  White highlights were added with gel pen.  I cut the image with a die from QuicKutz, inked the edges, and layered it onto glitter paper.  All of that went onto an A2 card front and the sentiment was added when all else was finished.  It really was a quick and easy card, taking less than 25 minutes, including coloring time.

     Challenges:

AAA Cards

Aud Sentiments (new watercolors)

Di's Digi Designs

Let's Craft and Create

Outlawz Monday

Pammie's IP

Simon Says Stamp (new watercolors)

Triple B

     Come play with us this month.  Just find something in the photo that inspires you, create a ard, and enter it into the challenge.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie