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

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

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

Gnome for Christmas

      It's the day for a new challenge over at FarmQuest Country Christmas where our theme is always "Anything Country Christmas Goes."  We want to see outdoor Christmas scenes or decorations on the farmhouse, or nearly anything that is both Christmas and outdoorsy, but not big city streets or shopping malls or cityscapes.  

     I chose this clip art image with three gnomes on the Christmas Tree Farm.  I don't know the artist but if you do, please let me know.  I love to give proper credit where possible.  I colored the image with my Sanjoki markers, added highlights to their beards with a white gel pen, and cut the image with an old QuicKutz die.  I love the shape of it.  I inked the edges in red, then layered it onto a background of glittery, golden holly leaves.  That CS came from Paper Studios and the dp strip along the right hand side is a scrap from a DCWV stack.

     The glittery golden bow is from K & Co. and I thought it added exactly the proper amount of sparkle and glitz.  I admit, when it's Christmas, glitter is my absolute favorite and when it's combined with gold, that takes it over the top!  The sparkle adds so much to the festive feel of the holiday.  :-D

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Aloha Friday

Colorful Options

Crafty Catz

Creative Inspiration

Digi Choosday

Kerst / Christmas

Outlawz Friday

     I hope we're going to see you playing along in this challenge.  Just create something that celebrates both country and Christmas and you're in!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cardinal Time at FQCC

      We have a new challenge starting today over at FarmQuest Country Christmas.  Our theme is always "Anything Country and Christmas Goes."  In keeping with that, I found this delightful clip art image of a cardinal on a tree branch.

     I did something I hadn't tried before; I found a piece of distressed dp in blue with snowflakes and printed the cardinal image onto it.  Then I colored the bird and the branch with watercolor pencils and gel pens.  I cut the image with a QuicKutz die, then cut two different mats (one steel blue and the other white) with other dies from the same set.  I layered those all together and put that piece onto snowflake dp from DCWV.  I hand-tied a bow using wired cord, then printed and die cut the sentiment with a die from Avery Elle.

     Challenges:

Creative Inspirations

Digi Choosday

Let's Craft & Create

Outlawz Sketch

Penny's P-C

Triple B

     We'd love to see you playing along in this challenge.  It runs until December 5 so you have lots of time.  Remember, tis the season to get started making your Christmas cards!

     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

Country Mice

      I have two posts for you today and this is the first one featuring my DT card for our September challenge at FarmQuest Country Christmas.  I used one of my House Mouse stamps which has seen good use over the years.

     This time I colored it with my Sanjoki markers, then cut the image with a die from Spellbinders.  I used 2 additional dies which came from a QuicKutz set to cut the two frames for it.  I love layering frames around an image because it makes them pop off the background and focus attention on the image.

     The background dp came from a Recollections stack.  I added two, tiny, round sequins and an even tinier star sequin for just a touch of sparkle.  Can you find them?  The sentiment is a sticker which was in my stash of Christmas embellishments.

     Challenges:

As You Like It

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

Outlawz Friday

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Hope to see you playing along with us in our challenge this month.  Be sure to check back in a bit for my second post for FarmQuest General Store.  

     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

The Christmas Horse

     Welcome to the start of our newest challenge over at FarmQuest Country Christmas.  Our theme is always Anything Goes as long as it's Christmas with an outdoor country flair.  This image was printed in gray scale, then colored with watercolor paint for the background, and colored pencils blended with gamsol for the horse.  I added white highlights with gel pen.  The image was cut with my largest square die from QuicKutz.

     The striped dp came from a Recollections stack.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  Since this card will be used for one of the guys in my family, I decided that no further embellishment was needed.

     Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

Creative Inspirations

Incy Wincy

Kerst Christmas

MFT Christmas

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Sparkles Christmas

Word Art Weds

     That's it for today.  I hope it's not too hot for you to be thinking about winter and Christmas.  Get a head start on your holiday card making and come play with us this month.  Anything Country Christmas will do.  :-D   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pudding Mouse

      It's the 7th of the month and time for a new challenge over at FarmQuest Country Christmas blog.  Our theme is always Anything Country Christmas and we're mostly looking for outdoor Christmas decorations, critters, scenes, etc.  They need to be 'country or farm' rather than city streets or skylines.

     I chose this adorable little field mouse, cooking up a Christmas pudding for her family.  Can't you just see her in her country kitchen, tucked away in the roots of some great oak tree, carefully preparing a feast for her entire brood?  I adore her calico apron and cap.

     This is a pre-colored, clip art image to which I added the sentiment before printing.  (I just didn't have time to print her in grayscale and color her myself this time, but I'll do that in the future.  :-D) I cut it with a die from Spellbinders and layered it onto an icy blue dp from Doodlebug.  I used my bow maker to tie a double-loop bow, using 2 strands of 1/8" red ribbon.  Isn't she adorable?

     Challenges:

Christmas Craft

Crafty Gals Corner

Double D

Gem of a Challenge

My Favorite Things

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paper Funday

Peace on Earth

Word Art Weds

     We'd love to see you playing along with us this month.  Anything with a country Christmas feel will qualify.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Happy Snow Couple

      Once again, a new challenge has started over at FarmQuest Country Christmas.  Our theme is always "Anything Country Christmas Goes."  For today's card, I chose a clip art snow couple, happily dancing in the yard of their country home.

     The image started out in black and white but I used computer software to change it into sepia tone before printing it.  I love the vintage feel it gave the card.  I cut the image with a QuicKutz die and the sentiment was cut with a Tonic Studios die.  The background dp came from a DCWV stack.  I used very narrow, 1/8" ribbon which is wrapped around the card front and tied into a simple bow.

     Challenges:

Digi Choosday

Holly & Ivy

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz Friday

Pammie's IP

Peace on Earth

     I hope we're going to see you playing along this month.  If you make something to enter into our Country Christmas challenge each month of the year, you'll have 12 cards done before the holiday rush hits you next Christmas.  :-D  Besides, we love being inspired by what you create and share with us.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie