A new challenge has started over at FarmQuest General Store and our theme is always "Anything Goes."
Challenges:
Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
A fun place for card making, crafting, playing, sharing creativity, and maybe a little inspiration now and then.
Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birds. Show all posts
Friday, February 7, 2025
Owl Always Love You
Monday, October 7, 2024
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
Come join our challenge this month. We love seeing what you create! Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Monday, September 23, 2024
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:
Lil Patch of ...
That's it for today but the rest of the week, we have some adorable Halloween and Thanksgiving cards to share. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Sunday, March 17, 2024
Happy St. Patrick's Day !
My favorite day of the year because I get to celebrate my birthday and that's especially fun since it's not only St. Patrick's Day but I'm Irish on both sides of the family tree. :-D I celebrate by making St. Pat's cards for everyone in my family.
Remember, on St. Patrick's Day, everyone gets to be Irish. Just put an "O' " or a "Mc" in front of your last name and you're in. :-D
The image featured on this card is another clip art which I printed in light grayscale, then colored with a combo of pencil, watercolors, and Sanjoki markers. White highlights were done with a gel pen. I cut the image with a Spellbinders die, then matted it with green glitter paper for a wee bit o' sparkle, also cut with a Spellbinders die. The background paper is from a K & Co. stack.
Challenges:
Wishing you the best today and may the Luck of the Irish be with you! Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Friday, September 29, 2023
Polly Parrot
It's Friday and that means another challenge over at Crafty Catz. This week, our theme is "Spots or Stripes" and I went with spots. We are being sponsored by QKR Stampede and the prize will be the three images used by the DT. Be sure to check out the challenge post over at Crafty Catz to see all three of the images.
I used the "Parrot" image, although I think it's really a macaw. I colored with my Sanoki markers, then cut the image with a die from Cutz. The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die. I found a lovely scrap of rain-forest-looking dp from DCWV for the full background, and cut another scrap for the band across the bottom with the 'spots' on it.
Challenges:
Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Monday, June 5, 2023
Whoo Loves Ya?
I've been playing in the Outlaw Progressive Challenge for more than a decade now, and I think I've only missed 1 month in all that time, and that was due to being hospitalized with Covid pneumonia for nearly 3 weeks. This month, we've been given a fantastic owl image from Sandra and I chose to color it using both my Sanjoki markers and water color paints, along with gel pen highlights.
After coloring it, I cut both the image and the frame with Memory Box dies. The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die. The frame was embossed using my Linen EF. The dark blue background was made with water colors. I added tiny, metallic brads to two of the corners and called it finished. Nice, masculine, CAS design.
Challenges:
Double Trouble (mono, blue, die cuts, brads)
See you tomorrow. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Winter in the Country
I'm late getting this card posted but it's my DT card for the latest challenge at FarmQuest which started today. Our theme this time is Anything Goes as long as it has a country flair. I thought this beautiful image of winter birds on the corral gate, from Jan's Digi Stamps, was perfect for a Christmas card.
Merged images of the birds and the black and white grapevine wreath, with dp scraps in red and green. The sentiment and the image are both fussy cut. The only embellishment I added are the three little gemstones.
Challenges:
I really hope we're going to see you playing along this time. You have until December 27th to enter, and then our next challenge begins on December 28th. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
"R" for Rocker Card
OK, I'm now up to the letter "R" in my cards for the 30 Days of Holidays at Beccy's Place and it stands for Red and Rocker card. I'm going to pretend that the birds are Robins (both are images from Beccy's and I merged them) and I used wide Ribbon to make the bow.
The rocker shape was cut with a die from Tattered Lace, as was the image itself. The red snowflake dp is from Recollections.
Challenges:
Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Monday, November 15, 2021
Counting Autumn Blessings
As a way to say "Thanks" in this month of Gratitude and Thanksgiving, I always recommend a count of all the blessings you've received throughout the year, and the blessings of the harvest and having family close need to be on that list, for sure!
This fun image from QKR Stampede, called "Farmer Crow" seemed the perfect one to use on my DT card for the new "Anything Goes" challenge starting today. The image is colored with ProMarkers, then cut with an oval die from Memory Box. That was one of the first dies I ever bought and it must go back at least 12 or 15 years.
The background is made with layers of dp from an old DCWV stack. The brown, sparkly ribbon on the left is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, as is the satin ribbon I used for the hand-tied bow. I added an orange flower gem to the bow. The pumpkin & flowers in the corner have had glitter added to them for a bit of sparkle.
My colors came from board #470 at CMH Color Dare
top row, middle row, and left hand column.
Actually, once I add in all the colors in his face and beak, I've
used all the colors except Sapphire!
Challenges:
Taylormade ...
I hope you're going to remember to come and play in our Anything Goes challenge this fortnight. We love being inspired by you and if you're the winner (we have 2 winners each challenge - 1 for those who use QKR images and 1 for everyone else), you could win some fabulous digis! Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Monday, November 1, 2021
Thanksgiving Sharing
Another challenge starts today at QKR Stampede and runs for the next 2 weeks. My DT card features an image called "Scarecrow and Friends" and I thought it really reflected the sharing we do at Thanksgiving when we all gather and share the feast (if not the cooking - lol) before us. Sharing is just part of gratitude and thankfulness, I've found.
The image is colored with ProMarkers and cut with a Spellbinders die. The darker paper (which is dry embossed and lightly sanded) and the kraft CS pieces are scraps from the basket, as is the dp framing the fussy cut sentiment. The pumpkin is fabric and the ribbon is grosgrain. Everything was mounted onto a piece of white CS which I embossed with my Linen EF.
I love coloring critters and use far more critter images than people but I'm trying to improve my coloring on people so I've begun looking for and using images which combine critters and people. Here's another one. To me, coloring fur or feathers is easier than coloring human faces and hair.
I chose my colors from the board at CMH Color Dare #468.
blue/orange/brown/tan/red + B&W
Challenges:
I hope you'll come over and play in our challenge this fortnight. We always have an "Anything Goes" theme so you may enter any card you like. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Christmas Owls and Stockings
I supposed all creatures hang stockings for Santa to fill and I remember seeing this darling Penny Black stamp for the first time. I fell in love and it went right into my cart. :-D That was a few years back and I've used it before on Christmas cards but I used non-traditional colors. I think this is the first time I've done it all in red and green.
Colored with ProMarkers and pencils, with gel pens for highlights. I cut the image and the sentiment with Die-namics dies. For the sentiment piece, I cut it once, then shifted the die and cut again to get the size/shape I needed.
The diagonal dp is a scrap left over from another project and is from a Graphic 45 stack. The snowflake is cut from felt. I kept the card as flat as possible because it's going to be mailed.
Challenges:
Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Flying Lessons
It's Thursday and time for the latest challenge at Creative Knockouts! Our theme this week is "Furry Friends" and our sponsor is Bugaboo Stamps, who provided images for the DT to use.
I'm sure many of you, looking at this cute image for the first time, will presume that the 'Whimsical Cat' is looking for an opportunity to pounce on the little birds. But, NO, you'd be wrong! He's actually taking flying lessons from them! lol
Colored with ProMarkers and gel pens, then cut with a die from QuicKutz. Framed with another QuicKutz die cut and the largest die in that set cut the striped frame. The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die. The mesh ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. All the dp, including the wood grain background, came from a stack by DCWV. The grosgrain 'butterfly' bow is one of my favorite styles, deliberately tied into a butterfly shape.
I used all 6 of the colors from Color Board #448 at Color Dare.
Challenges:
Come play in our Furry Friends challenge this week! You could win a fantastic prize from Bugaboo Stamps and we'll enjoy being inspired by you. :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Sweeping for Spring
Good morning and welcome to my next DT post for Creative Knockouts! Our theme this week is "Die Cuts or Punches" and we're being sponsored by SheepSki Designs. I absolutely adore gnomes and the ones drawn by Andrea at SheepSki are some of my favorites so I jumped at the chance to use "Sno' Worries" as soon as I saw it. :-D
If you look closely at my card, you'll see that he's sweeping away the snow, all the way down to bare ground, hoping perhaps to encourage Spring to arrive. After all, when you're as small as a gnome and you live in the forest without benefit of a heating system, winter can be your least favorite season!
Cut & embossed w Spellbinders die
Paper from DCWV "Winter" stack
Sentiment cut w Avery Elle die
Challenges:
Come play with us this week. We love being inspired by you!
I'm still following the "challenge-yourself" idea being promoted by my blogging buddy, V. It's called "Just Stash January" and it involves using nothing but things already in your stash throughout the entire month of January! There are a few reasonable exceptions (all of which mean that no money has come out of your pocket) and you can read about those on her post. Just click on the link above to find out all about it, then start counting those coins and bills you'll be 'stashing' in your pocket this month instead of crying about even more charges on the credit cards after the holiday season.
Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Friday, January 8, 2021
Magical Christmas Birthday
My sweet daughter-in-law has one of those birthdays which tends to get wrapped in with Christmas but I do make separate birthday and Christmas cards for her each year. This was her birthday card for 2020 but I couldn't post it until now in case she was watching the blog. Now that she's had more than enough time to get both her birthday and Christmas cards in the mail, I'll post it.
It also serves as my first DT card for Conie Fong in 2021! The image is called "Snowman and Birdie Friends" and I think it's adorable enough to use all winter (but for the Christmas tree decoration.)
I used an old technique I dearly love: Cutting the image with a fancy die and using nothing but the image piece on the card front. It's a design with no embellishments but it looks very complex despite actually being very CAS. Nice and flat for mailing.
Cut w Spellbinders die
Very old CAS technique
I also want to tell you about a fun "challenge-yourself" idea being promoted by my blogging buddy, V. It's called "Just Stash January" and it involves using nothing but things already in your stash throughout the entire month of January! There are a few reasonable exceptions (all of which mean that no money has come out of your pocket) and you can read about those on her post. Just click on the link and find out all about it, then start counting those coins and bills you'll be 'stashing' in your pocket this month instead of crying about even more charges on the credit cards after the holiday season. :-D Everything on this card came from the stash.
Challenges:
Saturday, November 7, 2020
First Wild Card at Beccy's Place - Birds or Animals
For those of you who were ready for the Letter "E" as the next prompt in the 30 Days of Christmas, Beccy threw out the first of the 4 'wild card' themes and you need to use a bird or animal on your card. The funny part is that I used birds for the "C" prompt (Calling Birds), and you'll see birds again tomorrow (letter "E.") Both of those cards were competed before I chose this image, Baby Robin, printed it twice (one was reversed) and added it to patterned paper I made by reducing and duplicating Beccy's lovely holly garland image.
I've been playing with the new trend toward tall and skinny cards and I make mine so that they fit into a regular, business-sized, envelope. However, I think we'll have to call this one a "long" and skinny card, rather than tall. :-D It was extremely difficult to photograph because it is so long that at least 1/3 of it was always in shadow and the other end too light no matter how I shifted my daytime lamp around.
Highlights added w gel pens
Image cut with Spellbinders die
Textured ribbon strip - Offray
Satin-bordered, sheer ribbon for bow
Challenges:
I hope you're playing along at Beccy's Place. If not, get on the ball! Christmas is less than 6 weeks away! When are you going to start/finish all those cards you intend to mail? :-D Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Saturday, October 24, 2020
'Tis the Season
I was playing around with some new dies last night and this card was the end result. It went a different direction than what I had in my mind's eye but I'm rather pleased with this result despite that. One more for my Christmas card stash.
(Birds & Pine cones are embossed)
Snowflakes cut w/ Art Impressions dies
Sentiment cut w/ Die-Versions dies
Colored w/ ProMarkers
Liquid Pearls white added as snow
White gel pen used for snow on pinecones
Background embossed w/ "Linen" EF
Challenges:
Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Saturday, September 5, 2020
Teresa's Birds
Earlier this week, I posted a card I had done using a lovely Goldfinch image for TNT Artspirations. If you missed that post, you can see it by clicking HERE. In that post, I promised to share with you two other incarnations of that same image but turning it into 2 completely different birds, one an Oriole and the other a Meadowlark. Here's the Oriole first in his lovely autumn colors.
Colored w ProMarkers
Cut with Spellbinders die
Harvest gold mat cut w Spellbinders die
Black card front cut w same Spellbinders die
Die cuts are inset into each other
Polka dot ribbon for hand tied bow
Challenges:
A Bit More Time...Extra
Classic Designs
Crafts Galore Encore
Friendship
Papercraft
Scribbles Designs
SheepSki Designs
Star Stampz
Your Scrapbook Place
And here's the Meadowlark, with the image reversed.
Colored w ProMarkers, chalks, & gel pens
Cut w Spellbinders
Mats for image are cut w Spellbinders
Polka dot papers are scraps
Stitched orange ribbon is a scrap
Bi-color, satin ribbon for bow is a scrap
Sentiment printed and cut w Avery Elle die
Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
Paper Funday
Penny's Paper-Crafty
TTCRD
Word Art Weds
Happy crafting and have a great weekend. NanaConnie
Cut with Spellbinders die
Harvest gold mat cut w Spellbinders die
Black card front cut w same Spellbinders die
Die cuts are inset into each other
Polka dot ribbon for hand tied bow
Challenges:
A Bit More Time...Extra
Classic Designs
Crafts Galore Encore
Friendship
Papercraft
Scribbles Designs
SheepSki Designs
Star Stampz
Your Scrapbook Place
And here's the Meadowlark, with the image reversed.
This card is based on the sketch at My Favorite Things.
I originally had the mats offset and at an angle behind the image
but it just looked too confusing with the wonky shapes.
Colored w ProMarkers, chalks, & gel pens
Cut w Spellbinders
Mats for image are cut w Spellbinders
Polka dot papers are scraps
Stitched orange ribbon is a scrap
Bi-color, satin ribbon for bow is a scrap
Sentiment printed and cut w Avery Elle die
Challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's
Crafty Sentiments
Creative Inspirations
Creative Moments
Paper Funday
Penny's Paper-Crafty
TTCRD
Word Art Weds
Happy crafting and have a great weekend. NanaConnie
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Dog (?) Days
I know August is typically what we call the Dog Days of summer but sometimes those "dog" days turn into cat or bird days as well. Just see below for an example in this delightful Mo's Digital Pencil image. I know I usually do cat images but that's because my fur babies get so upset when I feature some other animal, but this time I think I can get away with it since there IS a cat in the image. :-D
Colored w/ ProMarkers & pencil
Image & frame cut & embossed w/ Tonic Studios dies
Paper is a scrap from the basket
2 shades of green CS
Challenges:
Art Impressions
As You Like It (Both dog & cat!)
Cardz TV
C.R.A.F.T.
Outlawz Festive Fri
Paperbabe
Word Art Weds
Your Next Stamp
That's all for today but I'll be back tomorrow with another card. Hope you'll stop by then, too. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
I pulled my colors from the tic tac toe board at
Color My Heart Color Dare -
the main ones from the diagonal top left to bottom right -
plus mink & almond (cat's fur), red (in the dog's collar),
toffee (bird's feather's) & tangerine (bird's beak.)
I think all I missed was the Glacier Blue. :-D
All 3 of the diagonal colors are in the dp and the image has both
green and yellow with neutrals of black and white.
Colored w/ ProMarkers & pencil
Image & frame cut & embossed w/ Tonic Studios dies
Paper is a scrap from the basket
2 shades of green CS
Challenges:
Art Impressions
As You Like It (Both dog & cat!)
Cardz TV
C.R.A.F.T.
Outlawz Festive Fri
Paperbabe
Word Art Weds
Your Next Stamp
That's all for today but I'll be back tomorrow with another card. Hope you'll stop by then, too. Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Gift Card Holders for Christmas
Last week when I was doing cards for the Christmas in July challenges, I made a money folder specifically for cash but it could have been used for gift cards as well. However, it was longer than needed for a gift card so I rimmed the height and made these.
It seems every holiday season (well, all year round, actually) my family members and several of my friends come to me asking for gift card holders. I guess we use a lot of them. So, this year, I'm trying to get ahead of the game and get a couple dozen made up before the first request comes in. :-D
To make these, I start with card stock which is 4.5" high x 8" long and I score along the length of it at 1", at 4", and at 7", then fold on the 1" and 7" score lines, using double sided tape to close those folded ends so that they won't flip open. On one side is where the gift card goes and on the other there is room for a short note or for "To:/From:" tag.
Here's what they look like when the gift cards are safely tucked inside and they are folded up and tied with the ribbon which runs under the image and wraps around the back to tie on the right hand side.
Images are pre-colored or colored w/ ProMarkers
Images from Bugaboo Stamps & Doodle Pantry
Die cut images = QuicKutz
Die cut sentiments = Die-Versions & A I
Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
Christmas w Cuties
Crafty Hazelnut's
Die Cut Divas
Dream Valley
Outlawz Festive Fri
SheepSki Designs
Star Stampz
Winter Wonderland
Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
It seems every holiday season (well, all year round, actually) my family members and several of my friends come to me asking for gift card holders. I guess we use a lot of them. So, this year, I'm trying to get ahead of the game and get a couple dozen made up before the first request comes in. :-D
To make these, I start with card stock which is 4.5" high x 8" long and I score along the length of it at 1", at 4", and at 7", then fold on the 1" and 7" score lines, using double sided tape to close those folded ends so that they won't flip open. On one side is where the gift card goes and on the other there is room for a short note or for "To:/From:" tag.
Here's what they look like when the gift cards are safely tucked inside and they are folded up and tied with the ribbon which runs under the image and wraps around the back to tie on the right hand side.
Images from Bugaboo Stamps & Doodle Pantry
Die cut images = QuicKutz
Die cut sentiments = Die-Versions & A I
Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
Christmas w Cuties
Crafty Hazelnut's
Die Cut Divas
Dream Valley
Outlawz Festive Fri
SheepSki Designs
Star Stampz
Winter Wonderland
Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Sally's Christmas Friends
Finally, my first Christmas card this year! I usually start in either March or April and given that those were both lock-down months, I can't really claim that I was too busy to get any done but still I didn't get any made at all. So, here we are, two-thirds of the way through May and I'm finally posting my first Christmas card for 2020.
I used one of Conie Fong's new releases, called "Sally's Christmas Friends." As anyone who lives in snow country knows, our lovely feathered friends need a bit of help finding seeds for sustenance so I had Sally hanging not ornaments but suet & seed balls for her sweet little cardinal friends.
Yes, I used the traditional Christmas colors of red and green but that's my favorite color combo for the holidays. What do you think?
Colored with ProMarkers & silver glitter pen
Cut with Unbranded, cross-stitch die
Sentiment cut with Avery Elle die
Background paper from Graphic 45
Sparkly ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Bow - hand tied w/ gem
Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
Craft-Dee BowZ
Friendship
Lemon Shortbread
Morgan's ArtWorld
Outlawz Festive Fri
Sparkles Christmas
Winter Wonderland
Don't forget that each month on the Conie Fong Facebook page we have two challenges; one for coloring only and the other for finished cards. We do require the use of Conie Fong images to enter those challenges but how could you resist those darling images? There are freebies available on the FB site and there's also a 25% off sale going on at the Etsy Store right now! Check it out to see if one of your favorite images that you've been wanting to get is one of those on sale. :-D
Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
I used one of Conie Fong's new releases, called "Sally's Christmas Friends." As anyone who lives in snow country knows, our lovely feathered friends need a bit of help finding seeds for sustenance so I had Sally hanging not ornaments but suet & seed balls for her sweet little cardinal friends.
Yes, I used the traditional Christmas colors of red and green but that's my favorite color combo for the holidays. What do you think?
Colored with ProMarkers & silver glitter pen
Cut with Unbranded, cross-stitch die
Sentiment cut with Avery Elle die
Background paper from Graphic 45
Sparkly ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon
Bow - hand tied w/ gem
Challenges:
12 Months of Christmas
Craft-Dee BowZ
Friendship
Lemon Shortbread
Morgan's ArtWorld
Outlawz Festive Fri
Sparkles Christmas
Winter Wonderland
Don't forget that each month on the Conie Fong Facebook page we have two challenges; one for coloring only and the other for finished cards. We do require the use of Conie Fong images to enter those challenges but how could you resist those darling images? There are freebies available on the FB site and there's also a 25% off sale going on at the Etsy Store right now! Check it out to see if one of your favorite images that you've been wanting to get is one of those on sale. :-D
Happy Crafting. NanaConnie
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