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

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

Creative Fingers

Outlawz Friday

Peace on Earth

Pixie's Snippets

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

    Come join our challenge this month.  We love seeing what you create!   Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Field Mouse

     It's time for another challenge to start over at FarmQuest, where our underlying theme is always something "farm or country."  On top of that, we have a specific theme for each challenge and this time we want to see "Critters that eat grain" or something closely related to that.

     I searched my clip art files for something appropriate and came across this little mouse on a wheat stem.  What could be more perfect?  I had a lot of fun figuring out how I wanted to best display the image and finally decided to make the background for the image by water coloring some wheat onto water color paper, letting it dry overnight, ironing it flat (since it has a tendency to curl up while drying), and putting that piece of paper into the printer, then printing the clip art image directly onto the background.  I used colored pencils and white gel pen to add highlights and deeper color to the mouse.  What do you think?

     I cut the image with a Spellbinders die, matted it with some light brown CS, and trimmed that with my paper cutter.  I made the background by digging through the scrap basket and finding a couple of dp and a strip of reddish-brown CS.  I ran the strip of CS through my Linen EF, then layered all three scraps onto the card front.  The image went on top of those, as did the sentiment which had been printed, then cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

     I hope to see you playing along in our challenge this fortnight.  There are so many options for you in finding a critter that eats grains; rodents, birds, deer, horses and cows, ... the list is endless!  Let your imagination flow and share with us what you create.  

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Things Found in a Pond or Creek

      We have a new challenge and a new theme starting today at FarmQuest, and the theme is "Things Found in a Pond or Creek."  My dad would have immediately thought of fish because he loved fishing more than nearly any other outdoor activity and I often got to join him on those fishing treks.  Oh, what fabulous childhood memories!

     This image is clip art which I printed in sepia tone, then colored with my Sanjoki markers.  The card front was embossed with my Linen EF before adding the image.  I cut the colored image with a die from Spellbinders, and the sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The strip of polka dot dp came from an old DCWV stack.  Pretty CAS and masculine, and I really like it.  :-D

     Challenges:

Aloha Friday

Alphabet 

Creative Fingers

Di's Digi Designs

Outlawz Friday

     I hope you'll use your creativity and come up with something you might find in a pond or creek, then you can create something fun and enter it into our challenge before July 13.  You could end up taking top honors!

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Over the Moon

      Today's card serves as a reminder that our Challenge #13 at FarmQuest General Store still has a couple of weeks to run so there's still time for you to enter anything that has a country flavor.  Our sponsor is QKR Stampede and the image I used on this DT card is one of three images which are the prize.

     I love the humor this image invokes!  I think my sentiment says it all.  :-D  The image was colored with Sanjoki alcohol markers, then fussy cut.  The background was made by adding blue CS to the card front and trimming it to fit.  I added a multi-loop bow made from jute cord to enhance the country feel and the sentiment was cut with a die from Avery Elle.

     Challenges:

Creative Moments

Digi Choosday

Dream Valley

Lil Patch of ...

Outlawz SAR ("...leaps & bounds")

Pammie's IP

Star Stampz

     If you haven't played already (or even if you have) come play with us before our challenge ends on March 5.  Our next challenge starts on March 7.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Grammy's Rocker

      We're starting another challenge over at FarmQuest today and this time our theme is  "Porch or Deck Furniture" and we always have an underlying "Country or Farm" theme.  Our challenge will run from January 28 thru February 13, and our next challenge will start on February 14.

     The instant I saw this beautiful image, I thought about the front porch on my Grammy's farm house, and the rocking chair where she sat, usually doing some chores while she relaxed.  With a crockery bowl on her lap, filled with green beans needing to have the strings removed, or walnuts that needed shelling, she would sing to the birds in their own tongues as she soaked up the last of the afternoon before dinner was started.

    I ended up buying the entire collection of clip art rocker images, chose this one, printed it in grayscale (the lightest possible), then colored it with pencils and a touch of water colors on the leaves.  I cut the image with a die from Spellbinders, then mounted it onto of a scrap of dp (probably DCWV) which has been in the scrap basket for at least 5 years!  

     The sentiment was printed, then cut with an Avery Elle die.  It's a pretty simple card and could even be called CAS but for the fancy print in the dp.

     

     Challenges:

Coloring w Pencils

Creative Fingers

Creative Moments

Gem of a ...

Lil Patch of ...

Pammie's IP

Pattie's Creations

Penny's P-C

WordArt Weds

     That's all for today but I hope you'll come and play along with us this fortnight.  We love seeing what you create.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Sharing Recipes

      For many months now, I've been collecting recipes by searching for clip art recipe cards.  A friend of mine asked me to share this one with her and, rather than just writing it down or sending an email, I decided to print the clip art, add my own colors to  it, and make it into a card which I mailed to her yesterday.

     I also discovered a fun new challenge that's all about food and kitchens and farmer's markets, and I think this will make a perfect entry!  The challenge is part of the FarmQuest family of challenges, run by Becca Sadler.  Rather than join the challenge as another of her DT gals, I told her I wanted to be a play and share cards I make using many of the clip art recipes I've been collecting.  Since I have more than 25 of them at the moment (and will undoubtedly collect more of them), I'll be able to play along for a couple of years.  :-D  Here's a link to that challenge:  FarmQuest Homestyle Kitchen.

     This first one is for a fabulous Artichoke Dip and I really love it.  It's marvelous with freshly baked (and still warm) artisan breads, or even as a drizzle for a plate of corn chips or tortilla chips.  I printed the clip art at 20% color saturation, then used my Sanjoki markers to add somewhat softer colors to most of the image.  I used pencils on the tomatoes because I wanted them to be a bit more vibrant. 

     I framed the image with white CS, then added that piece to a layer of dp which I had used for the background.   I cut the leaves with an old Cheery Lynn die and layered them onto the top of the image.  I'm sure my friend will love this way of getting the recipe.

      Challenges:

Creative Inspiration

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Star Stampz

Word Art Weds

      Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie    

When Your Denims Take a Break

      I've been MIA for a few days and that's going to happen every week this month, I'm afraid, but not without good cause.  My daughter is getting ready to have a booth at our county fair and I've been helping her get ready; decorations, hand made supplies, various envelopes and little CS sleeves for prize products - all have taken time away from my normal crafting and blog posting.  I'll also be assisting her in manning (woman-ing?) the booth during the last 2 weeks of September.  I apologize and hope that I can return to my normal routine in October.

     It's time for out next challenge at FarmQuest and our theme is "Denim Bib Overalls."  Remember, we always have a farm/country requirement but it's going to be pretty difficult NOT to do a country theme with bib overalls.  lol

     I know most of us don't think about what our clothes do all day, but when one lives on a farm or ranch, and works on typical country chores, our clothes work as hard (or harder) as we do and I think they deserve a break, too.  So, I searched through photo of denim overalls and chose this one as the focus point of my card.  :-D

     The image and the frames were cut with QuicKutz dies, and the sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The stars were left over from a previous project and were the bits which dropped out of a Brutus Monroe die.  A nice, CAS design which just shouts 'farm country."

     Challenges:

    

     Come play with us this fortnight!  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Apples for the Teacher

      Time for our next challenge at FarmQuest Country Store, where we always have an "Anything Country Goes."  Since it's almost fall (my favorite season - especially for card making because there are so many possibilities.  Winter pretty much gets focused totally on Christmas, which is OK, but I prefer all the options of autumn), and since school is back in session for most of our kids, I decided I wanted to do a card that focused on apples for a teacher and apple picking season.  I found this beautiful clip art image and printed it in very light gray scale.

     I grabbed my water color paints and colored just the basket and the apples, leaving the background as gray scale.  I used gel pens and gold metallic marker on the butterflies.  I cut both the image and the sentiment with dies from QuicKutz.  I inked the edges of them with the gold marker and IRL, it shines beautifully.  The wood grain background came from a Brutus Monroe CS stack given to me by a sweet friend (thank you, Vicki!)  The red print along the left edge is fabric ribbon from my stash.

     Doesn't this have a great country feel?

     Challenges:

As You Like It

Creative Inspiration

Happy...Stampers

Let's Craft and ...

Paper Funday

Penny's P-C

Triple B (butterflies, blossoms)

Word Art Weds

     We'd love to see you playing in our challenges and we also have an open DT call going.  We are considering some simple changes at both the FQ General Store challenge and at the original FarmQuest challenge which will make either playing or designing with the DT even more rewarding.  Come visit us this fortnight and enter a card or other "country" project.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Off for a Great Adventure

      Remember when you were young and the seeming adventures of a country road or pathway invited you to follow it as the sun rose to light the day?  That's what today's card celebrates!  Our theme at FarmQuest for the next 2 weeks is "Sunrise or Sunset" and all you need it a country feel to go with that.  No cityscapes or downtown streets, no metro rails or freeways, just rural scenes or country skies.

     My image is a clip art photo I found online, enhanced with Sanjoki markers (fence and flowers) and neon ProMarkers for the bright yellow sunlight.  The gray clouds were colored with polychromos pencils.  The image and the blue frame were both cut with dies by Die-namics.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die, then a neon ProMarker was used to ink the edges.  The strip of dp came from my scrap basket.

     Challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations (1/3)

Digi Chooseday (1/2)

Double Trouble (1/3)

Inspiration Station (open field, colors, adventure)

Pammie's IP  (1/3)

     Wishing you a great day and thanks for visiting.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Eight Maids a Milking

      It's the 7th of another month and that means a new challenge over at FarmQuest General Store, where the theme is always "Anything Goes" but we also want to see 'country.'  That means anything farm, farming, farm animals, fields, open country, ranch, country roads, planting, harvesting - you get the picture.

     I'm kind of focused of Christmas cards this month, partly because I love laying in all the "Christmas in July" themed challenges, but also because I'm getting a late start on the 100+ Christmas cards I'm, going to need for this year.  So, today's 'country' card features a line from the Partridge in a Pear Tree carol, and you can't get much more country/farm than milking cows.  :-D

     The image is clip art and I cut it with a round QuicKutz die.  The octagon frame was cut with a die from Lawn Fawn (Lawn Cuts.)  The background is all gold glitter paper.  I found the red and gold sparkle ribbon in my stash and I have no idea where I got it.  The gold ribbon for the triple loop bow came from Really Reasonable Ribbon and I used my bow maker to tie it.

     I really love the red and gold color combo and all the sparkle from the glitter paper!

     Challenges:

Christmas Bingo (G- free/ribbon/glitter)

Digi Choosday

Double D

Double Trouble

Dream Valley

Happy ... Stampers

Lawn Fawnatics (Milk is food, right? lol)

Outlawz Thurs (Elegantly Rustic!)

Sparkles Christmas

     I hope you'll come and play with us this month.  We love seeing your creations.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Country Farm Kitchen

      Ok, we're done with the deer from the last challenge and are moving on to our newest theme at FarmQuest Challenge, "Country Kitchen."  I found this clip art image, printed it in gray scale (a technique I really love these days!), and colored it with a combo of (mostly) water colors, ProMarkers to create the 'rust,' and gel pens for white highlights on the cherries. 

     The background stripes were made using a scrap of dp.  The image and the frames were cut with Tonic Studio dies.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  I decided on a CAS design (despite the background stripes instead of just white space) so no embellishments beyond that paper.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Classic Design

Crafts Galore ...

Happy ... Stampers

Let's Craft & ...

Mirtillamente

Morgan's ArtWorld

Not2Shabby (4 of 5 colors + country)

     We'd love to see what you create for our challenge.  Anything farm or country kitchen will do.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

See a Country Mile

      Here comes our latest challenge at FarmQuest General Store, where our theme is always "Anything Country Goes."  Just country, rural, farm, and open spaces - no cityscapes, high rises, shopping malls, nightclubs, or other 'citified' nonsense.  :-D

     The image I used today is from Anne Fenton and it's such a perfect country lane gate that it was perfect for turning into a country view of wide, open spaces.  I colored it with water colors and ProMarkers, then cut it with a square, QuicKutz die.  I use a Fiskars punch on all four corners.

     I used a scrap piece of Paper Studio dp to make the frame for the image, die cutting and corner punching it the same way as the image piece.   The background dp is from that same Paper Studio stack.  I seem to have used it a lot these past few days but it's been lying on my crafting desk so it was within reach and has some really great masculine papers in it.

     I added a wrap of black, organza ribbon and used it for the hand tied bow, too.  The sentiment was printed as part of the image.  I think the black and brown make the card very masculine.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Carlin's Card ...

Classic Design

Digi Choosday

Do Al(l) Kreatives

Mirtillamente

Outlawz Color

Rabisco

YSBP

     Come play with us this month.  Just make something with a country flavor and enter it into our challenge.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Autumn Deer

      It's time for another challenge at FarmQuest and that means another "farm country" card with a  theme.  This time the theme is "Deer."  Pretty hard to find deer without finding 'country' (unless they are in the zoo) but I loved this clip art image which has a farm feel with the old, faded barn in the background

     I printed the image in grayscale, then used water color pencils, blended with gamsol, to color it.  The white highlights were made with a white, polychromos pencil, left unblended.  I cut the image with a die from Tonic Studios, and the white frame with the printed sentiment was cut with a QuicKutz die.  I used my "Linen" embossing folder on the gold CS I chose for the card front to give it all some texture.

     Challenges:

(links to be added when I return home after the Memorial Day weekend)

     I really think I'm reacting to the unusual 'summer-feeling' weather we've been having when the calendar keeps telling me it's still spring.  Maybe I'm hoping to jump right past summer (which is always miserably hot in my part of the world and I dislike heat more than anything) and into fall.  At least, I was thinking about the crisp evenings at dusk which come with fall weather when I chose the colors for this image.  Sigh... fingers crossed the air conditioning is affordable for the next four or five months.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Meet Me at the Barn

      Here it is, time for another challenge over at FarmQuest General Store, where our theme is always "Anything Country Goes."  You can't get more farm country than a barn and I love this old Barn image from Bugaboo Stamps (I miss them!  ;-( )  The cow and the pig are also from Bugaboo and I had such fun merging all three images to create this scene.  The scene makes me think of the old, old WWII song, "How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm (after they've seen Paris.)"

     I colored with my Sanjoki markers, then cut the image with a rectangle die from QuicKutz.  I used a Fiskars punch on the corners.  The 2 scraps of golden CS in the background were embossed with my Linen EF, and I used another scrap of charcoal CS between them to cover the entire card front.  I printed the sentiment and cut it with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

A Perfect Time ...

Digi Choosday

Paper Funday

Paper Shelter

Park Hopping (Knott's Berry Farm)

Passion for Markers

Pattie's Creations

Simon Says Stamp

Worldwide ...

YSBP

     Why don't you create something country and come play in our challenge?  It's a monthly challenge and runs until June 5 and then a new one starts on June 7.  We'd love to see you there.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Country Bandanas

      Welcome to the next challenge over at FarmQuest where we do projects inspired by the country and our theme this fortnight is "Bandanas."  No, not the fruit 'bananas' but those things you wear around your neck or pulled up over your nose to keep the trail dust out of your nose and mouth - banDanas!  My mom used to wear one like a scarf when we were out camping to keep her hair from flying everywhere when we were bouncing along in the 4-By-4.

     So, today, I combined a bandana with an svg cut horse and horseshoe.  The background bandana is actually a photo of a black and white bandana I happen to own.  I took the photo, reduced it in size and printed it on lavender CS.  I cut that with a QuicKutz die and used it as the background of my card front.  I cut the horseshoe with the horse head out of black CS, added white polychromos pencil to give the cut some definition, and mounted it onto dimensional tape.

     After looking at the die cut, I thought a bit more definition between the horse and the shoe would be a good thing, so I took a cotton swab. dipped it into a tiny bit of beach (just enough to moisten the cotton but not make it soppy wet) and then lightly stroked it over areas of the horse head.

     The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

Ally's Angels

Classic Design

Crafts Galore ...

Creatalicious

Outlawz Friday

Rabisco

YSBP

     Check back tomorrow when I'll have a new DT card for Crafty Catz and on Saturday one for QKR Stampede.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Flowers in a Jar

      It's time for the April challenge at FarmQuest Country Store where our theme is always "Anything Goes" as long as it's Farm or Country.

      There's something so country-wholesome about hand picked flowers tucked into a Mason or Ball jar placed in the middle of a wooden table.  You know right away that someone cared enough about the recipient (usually mom) to take the time to pick the flowers (or even flowering weeds in the case of younger kids), bring them to Mom, and that she cared enough about the giver to make the flowers the center of attention!  

      Hmmm, maybe the hand-picked version of flowers is the best kind of Mother's Day recognition, even though I did this card as part of my birthday card stash.  :-D

      The photo featured on my card came from online clip art, which I cut with a Spellbinders die, then inked along the edges before adding it to the background.  The background itself is kind of fun - it came from a book of wallpaper samples which I've had for a million years and I thought it really emphasized the country feel of this card.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.

     Challenges:

     We'd love to see your 'country' creations this month.  The challenge runs until May 5 and the May challenge will start on May 7.  Come play with us.  

     Wishing you all the blessing of Easter as we start the weekend of Holy Week today.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

FarmQuest Frogs, Toads, or Mushrooms

      What a fun and silly card I have for you today.  A new challenge is starting over at FarmQuest, where we always have a general "Farm Country" theme with a more specific theme for each challenge.  This fortnight the specific theme is Frogs, Toads, or Mushrooms.  I didn't find anything with mushrooms but I did find this crazy image with both a frog and a toad.  Of course, these two country boys are out riding their "steed" and wearing their cowboy hats so that takes care of the country part of it.   They are really enjoying the first, bright, spring day, too, after a long hard winter!  lol

     I printed the image in grayscale and colored it in spring greens using my ProMarkers.  I cut it with a QuicKutz, square die.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  The background is made up of scraps of burlap and paper (K & Co), both of which have a country feel to them.  I used my bow maker to tie the polkadot bowtie on the toad.

I worked with the sketch from the Outlawz Sketch challenge,

but I took a couple of liberties. Still, the basics are there.

     Challenges:

As You Like It (Critters because they are cuter)

Crafty Gals Corner

I Love ProMarkers

Inspiration Station (all the green)

Pammie's IP

Passion for Markers

     I'll have another Easter post later but for now, I hope to see you playing along in our challenge.  Grab your silly froggy stamps (or toads or mushrooms) and give us a project with a lovely country feel.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Country Apples

      I absolutely adore this KLM Designs image and chose it from my collection to use on my FarmQuest DT card for the newest challenge starting on March 14.  Our current theme is "Anything Farm Country" and I think an apple harvest fits that perfectly!

     I colored it with my ProMarkers, then cut it with a die from Lawn Fawn.  The sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  All the papers are scraps from the basket which lives on my desk: the textured green is from DCWV; the plaid is from a Paper Studio stack; and the deep olive green with spots on it is also from Paper Studio.  The narrow, polka dot ribbon was a scrap in my stash and I used my bow maker to tie a double loop bow.

     Challenges:

2 Sisters on ...

Classic Design

Colorful Options

Die Cut Divas

Double Trouble (all 3)

Happy Li'l Stampers

Inspiration Station (The lovely greens)

Morgan's ArtWorld

Rabisco

Star Stampz

YSBP

     If you haven't played along in our FarmQuest challenges yet, now is the perfect time.  We always require that your entries have an underlying "country" flair but this time you can do anything country, without having to follow a specific theme over and above that.  The challenge will run 2 weeks, until the next challenge starts on March 28.  Come play!  We love being inspired by you.

     Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie

Kittens in the Milk Pail

      I had so much fun making this card, my second DT project for the new challenge at FarmQuest General Store (FQGS, for short) which starts on the 7th of each month and ends on the 5th of the following month.  Our theme is always Anything Farm Country Goes (see the blog site for more specifics on that.)

     I played with an old photograph, printed in grayscale, and colored with blue ProMarkers to give it a bit of tint, kind of like coloring old tintypes.  I cut the image with a rectangle Tonic Studios die, then layered it onto a scrap piece of CS which was the center of  a frame previously cut with a Sue Wilson die for another project.  

     Moral of the story:  Never, ever throw out the scraps!  I know both the scrap CS and the scrap of dp have been around in the scrap basket for more than 2 years.  The twine is probably 4 or 5 years old, and the dies I used have been in my collection for more years than I can count.

     The sentiment was cut with an Avery Elle die and the top edge of the mat was cut with that same Sue Wilson die so that the sentiment would tuck in nicely at the bottom of the image piece.  The striped dp was also a scrap from the basket and I think it was from a K & Co. stack.  The fiber/twine came from The Twinery.

     Challenges:

Digi Choosday

Outlawz Thurs

Pammie's IP

Paper Funday

Passion for Markers

Penny's P-C

Polkadoodles

SUYP Cats

Word Art Weds

     We'd love to see you playing in our challenges this month.  We get as much inspiration from you as you get from us, you know.  :-D  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie