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

A Farm Country Birthday

      When I think of farms and country living, horses always come to mind.  So when I saw the theme for our latest FarmQuest challenge, "Things Found in a Barn," I started looking through my collection of images for a horse.

     This gorgeous clip art image was colored with pencils, blended with gamsol, then cut with a die from Spellbinders.  The kraft CS frame was also cut with a die from that same set.  The plaid dp came from a DCWV stack.  I printed the sentiment, cut it with scissors to get that particular shape, and matted it with a scrap of kraft CS.  I used jute cord for the hand-tied bow.

     Challenges:

Coloring w Pencils

Crafty Catz

Creative Fingers

Digi Choosday

Male Room

Pattie's Creations

Word Art Weds

     I hope you're going to take some time in the midst of the crazy holiday rush to have some personal play time and we'd love it if you came and joined in our challenge.  Just find an image of anything you might find in a barn (animals, tools, vehicles, feed or hay, etc.), make a card or other project, and enter it into our challenge.  

     FYI, you MUST check out the FQ challenge post this time.  There are some incredible AI images available for you to use if you choose.  Becca did a great job of putting those together for all the readers.  :-D

     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

Silver Fox

      Maya Silvercat is one of my favorite artists and I've introduced my sis-in-law to her artwork and digital images.  The image on this card was colored by my SIL, using Ohuhu markers (she has so thoroughly mastered alcohol markers in less than 2 months!)  I love how she decided to make the fox a silvery white.  Really masterful !

     I still haven't gotten her to actually make cards (or even scrapbook pages) with her colored images but we have this marvelous collaboration going, and I make cards out of her colored images.  Of course, I continue to color images myself, but this one is another of our collaborations.  :-D

      The image, once colored, was cut with a Tonic Studios die, and I inked the edges.   The background for the image was made by running a piece of charcoal gray CS through my Linen embossing folder. That added a delightful bit of texture.  The birthday sentiment was printed and cut with an Avery Elle die.  For the bow, I used white ribbon, dyed green with a marker, then hand sewn into the butterfly shape.  

     Challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms

Digi Choosday

DL Art

Pattie's Creations

Penny's P-C

Simon Says Stamp

Word Art Weds

     That's all for today but check back tomorrow for another post.  Happy Crafting.  NanaConnie