Diane's Country Cards & Crafts: May 2026

Cougar 2026

I think this is the third or fourth time I have used this image. I love it for male cards. I got it from Digi Doodle Shop. I used to be on their design team in 2012. They are no longer in existence. I colored the image with Copic markers.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Seize the Birthday - Feature an Animal

Digi Choosday - ATG

AAA Birthday- Anything Birthday

Ally's Angels - ATG

Classic Design Challenge - ATG/Birthday

Crafty Animals - Must Include an Animal

Critter Crazy Challenge - Animals as the Focus

Farm Quest General Store Challenge - AFCG

Love to Craft - ATG

Passion for Markers - ATG

A Place to Start - ATG

Hummingbird Sympathy Card

This is the next in the series of bird cards that I'm working on. I purchased the set of digital images from Etsy. I am really enjoying working with them. I colored this image with Copic markers, Polychromos pencils and pastels. The paper is from Stampin' Up

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Craft Rocket Challenge - Not Square

Creative Inspiration Challenges - ATG

A Perfect Time to Craft - ATG

Crafts Galore Encore - ATG

Heart's Quests Celebrations of Love - Sympathy

Love to Scrap - ATG

Mix it up Challenge Blog - ATG

Morgan's ArtWorld - ATG

Four Seasons Challenge - Spring

Passion for Markers - ATG

Make My Monday - Say it with Flowers

613 Avenue Create - May Flowers

Ukelele with Flowers

I thought it might be fun to color this picture...it was not. It took four days and it was a monster to color. I'm not really happy with some of the color choices I made. At least I didn't tear it in half and toss it which I usually do when I'm not fond of my artwork. Hopefully, it grows on me. I colored it with Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils.

Finishing this card today, on our 50th wedding anniversary, reminded me of making my wedding gown. I took me a year to make the dress and juliet cap. I sewed on thousands and thousands of seed pearls. About a month before the wedding I considered buying a different dress because I was so tired of looking at it every day. Fortunately, I could not afford to buy a different dress so I wore it and absolutely loved it.

I am entering this card in the following challenges:

Ellibelle's Garden Party - Anything from a Garden

Just Us Girls - Flowers

Time Out Challenges - Playing Music

Little Red Wagon - May Flowers

Beautiful Blossoms - Anything Florals

Do-All Creative - Flowers as an Eye Catcher

Scarlet Macaw

This is the next in my bird series, a Scarlet Macaw. I am not really pleased with this one, but decided not to redo it. I'm fine with the bird itself, but I don't like my choice for the flower color and paper. I feel I should have used a brighter color for the flowers to have more of the intensity of the color of the bird. Oh, well! I colored the image with Copic markers and pastels.

Hairy Woodpecker

This is a very strange-named bird, indeed! I bought a set of 40 bird images on Etsy and I am slowly working my way through them. They are not named so I need to do research to figure out what they are. I found the top of this bird's head to be very interesting. It kind of has a corn on the cob look to it, but black. Interesting bird! I colored the image with Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils and pastels.