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

Red and White Christmas

      This is my second post today but I wanted to enter the November challenge at Conjuror of Dreams.  

      I love red birds in the winter!  They bring so much visual joy to an otherwise bland, some might even say bleak, landscape of leafless trees buried in snow and ice.  Today's card features a bright red cardinal clinging to a snowy branch.  It's a pre-colored image from Conjuror of Dreams and pre-colored always means a quick and easy card..

     I cut the image with a Spellbinders die, matted it with white CS trimmed to fit, and added the sentiment (cut with an Avery Elle die.)  The poinsettia dp originally came from a DCWV stack, but it was a left over scrap with a piece punched out of it from a previous project.  I managed to cover that hole with the image piece!  Waste not, want not.  :-D

     The snowflake embellies are from Jolee's, and this card took me just under 15 minutes to make.  How's that for quick?

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Alphabet Challenge

Classic Design

Crafty Catz

Creatalicious

Dream Factory

Outlawz Friday

     That's it for today but I'll have another post tomorrow for another 30 Days of Holidays card.  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

30 Days of Holidays - "B"

      This is my second post for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place, and although I posted my card for "A" early this morning, Beccy's Place is on Australia time so they have already started the second day of the challenges.  The theme is to use things starting with "B."

     I love Birds on my Christmas cards and this time I even chose a Baby bird.  I colored him with markers using mostly Burgundy and Bayberry (green) on the bird and holly leaves & Berries.  After coloring, I cut the image with a QuicKutz die.  The sentiment was merged into the image before printing so it came out as part of the image when I die cut it.

     The Background paper was a scrap from an old DCWV stack.  I found some red ribbon, wrapped it around the card front, and tied a Bow.

      Challenges:

12 Months Christmas

Crafts Galore Encore

Kerst Christmas

Morgan's ArtWorld

MTTCC

Outlawz Friday

SheepSki Designs

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Pheasant Flight

      We have a new theme starting today for our latest FarmQuest challenge and the theme is "Turkeys, Pheasants, Peacocks, &/or Feathers."  Obviously, I opted for a pheasant.  :-D

     This clip art image was printed in grayscale onto pale blue CS, then colored with water color paints and pencils.  Once dry, I ironed the image flat (it curled a bit with the water color paints), then cut it with a QuicKutz die.  The plaid dp for the background came from a digital paper file which I sized to an A2 card size, then printed.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I left it without embellishments because it's such a perfect masculine card.

     Challenges:

Classic Design

Coloring w Pencils

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR (pheasant in the sky?)

Polkadoodles

     Come play with us this fortnight.  We love seeing what you create and being inspired by it.  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

Autumn Bird

      Nothing Christmas today, but a card for another holiday close in time, Thanksgiving.  This card features the image for the Progressive challenge at The Outlawz this month and I just thought that darling little bird looked like he was wishing either his tree still had leaves on it or that he was inside that big, warm barn instead of perched on his bare branch.  

     The background is a clip art pencil sketch and, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot read the artist's signature. But I did leave it visible just below the sentiment piece as a way of giving proper credit.

     I colored the bird image with ProMarkers, and cut both the image and the frame using octagon dies from QuicKutz.  The sentiment piece and the tiny leaves were both cut with dies from Memory Box.  I inked the edges of the background sketch before mounting everything onto the card front.  The sentiment itself is a rubber stamp, old enough that the name of the maker has long ago peeled off.

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Dream Valley

Gem of a Challenge

Paper Dragonfly

     Have a wonderful second day of your weekend and Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Night Owl

      Guess what?  The QKR Stampede challenge is back!  Although the new store is not yet fully stocked, the challenge is ready for you to join in.  We've missed seeing all of you while we were on a break.

     As usual, our theme is always "Anything Goes" and our challenges begin on the 1st and 15th of each month.  We offer two prizes each challenge; one for those who use either a QKR Stampede or Eureka Stamps digital image (3 image prize) and a second for those who use any other image (2 image prize.) 

     On my card today, I used a fun image called "Night Time Owl" and I colored him with ProMarkers.  I used a die from Gina Marie to cut the image, then inked the edges with a ProMarker.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The background dp is from a DCWV stack.  The bow is one of my hand-sewn, signature bows, 'dyed' with a marker to get the exact color I wanted.

Colors from My Favorite Things

     We're so happy to be back!  We really hope you're going to come and play in our challenge these next two weeks.  We've missed seeing your creations and visiting your blogs.  :-D

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Creative Inspiration

Cupcake Inspiration

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's IP (dp/image/ribbon)

There's a Stamp ...

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bald Eagle

      It's Friday once again and that means another new challenge over at Crafty Catz, where our theme is always "Anything Goes," with the added benefit of an OPTIONAL twist if you want to use it, and this time it's "Wings."  We don't have a sponsor this week so everyone on the DT has chosen whatever they want to use for their inspiration cards.

     I chose this magnificent (clip art) Bald Eagle image, printed out in gray scale, and hand colored with my Sanjoki markers and white gel pens, plus water colors on the sky and water.  I cut the image with a Tonic Studios die.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  The dark background is actually dp from Paper Studio and I hand-tied the little satin bow.

     Challenges:

Creative Fingers

Creative Moments

Digi Choosday

Double D

Happy...Stampers

I Love Markers

Outlawz Thurs

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     Come play in our challenge this week, won't you?  We love seeing what you've created and, even though we don't have a sponsor this week, you could take a Top Pick spot with your entry.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Bird and Flowers

      This image came from my collection of Ching-Chou Kuik digital images.  This one is colored with water color paints, and cut with a stitched Cutz die.  The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die.  The background was made using paper from a DCWV scrapbooking stack.  I know the image wasn't meant to be an Easter image but having chosen this spring-like color combo, I knew that an Easter sentiment could transform it.  :-D

     Challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms

Ching-Chou Kuik

Die Cut Divas

Penny's P-C

     This is my first post today so check back later for a second post.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Cowboy Owl

     This card is doing double duty so you're going to see it today as my DT card for the FarmQuest challenge, where our theme for this challenge is Cowboy Boots, Spurs, or Hats.  Then, it'll serve as my  DT card tomorrow for QKR Stampede.  The image is from QKR and it's called "Cowboy digital stamp" and over there we always have an Anything Goes theme.

     I colored the image using my watercolor paints, and added highlights with gel pens.  The image and the frame were both cut with Cuts stitched dies.  The background paper is actually vellum and it just worked so well with my colors in the image.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I love this crazy owl all dressed in his cowboy garb.  lol

     Challenges:

Crafty Calendar

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

Gem of a Challenge

LeAnn's World

Pammie's IP ...

Pattie's Creations

Simon Says Stamp

Starz Stamps

     Be sure to visit both of the challenges and we hope you'll come and play along with us.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Tropical Toucan

     Today a new "Anything Goes" challenge is starting at Pammie's Inky Pinkies and we're sponsored by the fun and fabulous SheepSki Designs.  Andrea provided images for the DT to use for this challenge and I chose this one called "Tropical."

     It's cold enough today that I can wish I was somewhere tropical, chattering with a toucan, with a hibiscus flower in my hair.  :-D  No worry, spring will be here in another 24 hours and the temperatures will quickly rise, to a point beyond anyone's comfort zone and we'll all be wishing for the cooler, crispier temps of early fall.

     I colored the image with ProMarkers, then cut it with a die from Spellbinders.  I dry embossed a piece of spring green CS with my Linen EF (which I've used quite a lot this month), and mounted both of those onto the card front.  The sentiment is fussy cut and I hand-tied the large bow using 1" grosgrain ribbon.  Final touch - 3 sequins.

I used the colors from Cupcake Inspirations.

     Challenges:

613 Avenue Create

Cutie Pie (B for Bird)

Dare 2B Artzy

Dragonfly Dreams

Dream Valley

Get Creative

Lil Patch of ...

Simon Says Stamp

We Love Stamping

     Happy Crafting and we'd love to see you playing in our challenge this week.  NanaConnie

Christmouse Wishes

      Today I'm sharing my DT card for I Love Promarkers, featuring an image from our sponsor, Hetty Clare, which is called "Christmouse Wishes."   Our theme for this challenge is "Dies or Masks" and now I have one more card for the Christmas stash!

     I colored with my ProMarkers and used a QuicKutz die to cut the image.  The red circle behind the image was cut with a die from Dare 2B Artzy.  The image was layered onto a piece of dp from DCWV.  The background is a piece of Graphic 45 dp.  

     I found some lovely satin, snowflake, ribbon and used it for the strip across the card front and for the hand tied bow.  The single sparkly snowflake was cut from glitter paper with a Die-namics die.

My colors came from the CMH Color Dare 

board #465, first column plus gold.

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Crafter's Castle

Crafty Hazelnut's

Gem of a Challenge

Outlawz Festive Fri

Paperbabe

Polkadoodles

Scrapping4Fun

Word Art Weds

     It would be great to see you playing along in our challenge.  We do love being inspired by you and your creations.  So grab a die or a mask and make something wonderful to inspire us!  

     

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Autumn Owl

      This is my first DT card for Get Creative and this one is for the October monthly challenge.  Our theme is "Anything Goes" but there's an optional twist of Holidays.  We have 3 marvelous sponsors this month; All Dressed Up, Goha Digital Stamps, and Oddball Stamps.  Each sponsor supplied images for the DT to use and I chose this marvelous Owl from Goha.

     I used polychromos pencils and ProMarkers to color the owl, highlighted it with gel pens, then cut the image with an oval die from QuicKutz.  I printed and fussy cut the sentiment.  Both the deep brown CS and the yellow strip are dry embossed.  I kept with a very CAS design because this one will be mailed and I really wanted the image to take center stage.

     Challenges:

Colour Crazy

Crafty Sentiments

Creative Fingers

Dare 2B Artzy

Digi Choosday

Outlawz Festive Fri

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

Stamping Sensations

WordArt Weds

     The challenge runs all month and will be our last one for this year.  The team takes a 2 month break in November and December so that they can focus on family over the holidays.  We sure hope to see you joining in and inspiring us with your creations.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Anything Goes at Beccy's Place

      This is the final day of 30 Days of Christmas at Beccy's Place and the prompt is to "Do What you Love," so pretty much an "Anything Goes" theme.  I love hanging the Christmas stockings, I love Beccy's pre-colored images (especially when I can't sit long enough to color them myself, which I also love), I love Cardinals in the winter, I love glitter and sparkle, I love fancy frame dies, and I love playing all month long in November each year when it's time for the month-long, daily challenges at Beccy's Place.  All of those went into this final card.  

I started by using sketch #195 from Sweet Sketch Weds.

Pre-colored image

Image cut w/ Frantic Stamper dies

Circles cut w Sizzix dies

Scrap bits of dp

Gold and green glitter paper from Recollections

Pearl white ribbon scrap 

     (which was crooked but I straightened it!)

     Challenges:

Art Impressions

C.R.A.F.T.

Creative Fingers

Creative Knockouts

House... Stamps Built

Outlawz Twisted Thurs

Penny's Paper-Crafty

Simon Says Stamp

     Thank you, Beccy, for another marvelous November!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

American Goldfinch

     My dear friend and blogging buddy, Teresa (who helped get the 2 Crafty Critter Crazies challenge started three and a half years ago), is a great artist.  The beautiful goldfinch on my card today was drawn by her and you can find it, along with other beautiful art works, in her new store over at TNT Artspirations.

     Over the upcoming weekend, I hope to have another post showing just how versatile this image really is.  Teresa drew it as a goldfinch, but I've also colored it as an oriole and as a meadowlark and you'd never know the image was meant as a finch.  I'll share those on Saturday or Sunday.

I used an archive sketch (#439) from Sketch Saturday

but flipped it side to side.

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut & matted w die from Spellbinders

Striped ribbon - Really Reasonable Ribbon

Sentiment printed & cut w Avery Elle die

Sequin for touch of shine

Card base is hand beached CS

     Challenges:

Cardz TV

Crafty Creations

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Gem of a Challenge

I {heart} ProMarkers

Penny's Paper-Crafty

TTCRD

Word Art Weds

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Generous Robin

     This is one of the funniest House Mouse stamps I own and I haven't used it in a couple of years, at least.  The whole idea of  very generous robin feeding baby mice is fun but add the factor of  "generous" baby mouse passing the food offer on to one of his brothers brings on pure laughter!

     I'm sending this to one of my grandsons who has two brothers.  I think he'll get a real kick out of it.  :-D

Colored w/ ProMarkers & gel pens
Cut with Tonic Studios die
Ribbons from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Gingham bow, hand-tied
Rhinestones

     Challenges:
Aud Sentiments
Crafty Sentiments
Digi Choosday
Outlawz Festive Fri
Paperbabe
Paperminutes
Simon Says Stamp &...
TTCRD

     The weekend is right around the corner and I'm going to be focusing on all my First of the Month DT and Coordinator obligations because, believe it or not, September is almost here.  Then, next weekend is Labor Day here in the USA and by that time, all the rush will be behind me and I can just play and craft and visit my favorite blogs (something I haven't had time to do for a couple of weeks and I apologize.)

     In the meantime, Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

New Hat Makes the Lady

     It's another Monday (ok, very late on Sunday evening in my area but it'll be Monday by the time you wake up and see this!) and that means another "Anything Goes" challenge at Pammie's Inky Pinkies.  Our sponsor this week is the wonderful and whimsical Bugaboo Stamps.  I used a darling image called "Flower Bird."  I loved her hat and decided to focus on that when I added my sentiment.

 I used the sketch from Stella Says Sketch, but reversed.

Colored w/ ProMarkers
Cut with Unbranded die
Wide ribbon by Really Reasonable Ribbon
Striped dp from Stampin' Up
Hand tied bow (scrap ribbon)
Sentiment printed & cut w/ die by Spellbinders

     Challenges:
Angie's Digitals
C.R.A.F.T. (Is shopping a sport or is it leisure? lol)
Crafty Creations
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds
My Favorite Things Colors
Paper Funday
Penny's Paper-Crafty
Simon Says Stamp (dies)
WordArt Weds

     Come play with us, won't you?  It's Anything Goes so how can you lose?   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Christmas in July - Day 2 - Sketch

     Here we are on Day 2 of the Christmas in July daily challenges at Catch the Bug and today we get to use their sketch.  I used this cute, silly bird who's in the process of decorating for Christmas.  He's definitely an "early bird" on Christmas decorating since it's only July.  :-D

Here's the sketch & you can see I adjusted it 

slightly for a square card.

I also used colors from House that Stamps Built.

 

Colored w ProMarkers

Cut with Unbranded die

Frame cut w QuicKutz die

Sentiment cut w Die-Versions die

Papers from DCWV Basics stack

Satin ribbon and Twine bows

     Challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge

Angie's Digitals

Arty Divas

Christmas w the Cuties

Crafty Hazelnut's

Crafty Sentiments

Digi Choosday

Simon Says Stamp
Tuesday Throwdown

     So far, I'm right on course with doing a card each day of the Christmas in July event and I already have the next project done so check back tomorrow.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Making Beautiful Music

     I want to share one more DT card I've done for Digi Doodle Studios and this one features an image called "Violinist Janie."  She looks so happy playing her violin for that little song bird.  What a duet that must be!  :-D

Colored with ProMarkers and water colors
Cut and framed with dies by Spellbinders
Net ribbon is sparkly (hard to see) and a scrap
White grosgrain bow from 1" ribbon
Yellow 'dots' in the corners are drop out bits from frame

     Challenges:
Bastel-Traum
Crafty Gals Corner
Creative Inspiration
Double D  (music)
Dream Valley
Ellibelle's Crafty Weds
Get Creative
Pammie's Inky Pinkies
Word Art Weds.

     Have a wonderful week, my friends, and find some creative time.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie