Duck Pond

I was planning on this for one of my Dies R us post but when I checked they don't sell it anymore, if you like it maybe you can find it elsewhere.  Instead of using it as a silhouette like I was going to do, I went for coloring the scene.

First I sponged on the water by masking the upper half of the card and using Mermaid Lagoon Distress ink. Then I cut the mountains out of some scrap cardstock so that I could also sponge on the mountains, I wanted the whole background to be inked. I used both pieces, the top piece for sponging the mountains with black soot distress ink, than covered the mountains that I had sponged on with the bottom piece so I could sponge in the sky with Tumbled glass distress ink.

Hopefully the pictures help explain the process if my words don't :)

Here is a closeup of the ducks.

I liked how the mountains turned out looking far off in the distance with a bit of haze on them.

Die-namites -- Duck pond die coloredw/markers
Taylored Expressions --Sun & clouds die (I used only the clouds)
Impression Obsession-- Mountain Landscapes die

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Connie

Graduation

While home in Michigan we celebrated my nieces Graduation from High School, their colors are red and white at her school, so I new where to start but I was having a rough time trying to figure out what to do.  Was going to put the word GRAD instead of the year but went with the year instead, maybe I will do GRAD when she graduates from Michigan State University :)  I stamped the flags then cut them out to make the banner, used a little twine to hang it with and tied knots on the ends, cut a border with my punch to give it a little something more than just a straight line, but it still needed a little something so I added the stickers to look like confetti.

Hero Arts -- Friendly Flag stamps
Taylored Expressions -- Whimsy#s die
Raspberry Road designs -- Love lives here paper
Martha Stewart -- Border punch
David Tutera -- sentiment
Stampendous -- Geo shape stickers

Some of you have mentioned in the comments about making cards while I was doing VBS, I didn't have time or the energy to do it while I was doing VBS, all that I posted while gone and since have all been cards I had done before I left, I have at least one more that I had done before I left, I did have to start back to it right after VBS though because I had my sister and a few from church to do.  As soon as my sister gets her card I will share it, it was my first time trying this type card, but I can't say more because she comes to my blog :)

Oh I haven't forgot about making cards for those of you that are so sweet to come and comment either, things have been a little crazy and it has taken me awhile but I have what I wanted done, now it will be just putting the card together and I will be sharing that one soon too :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Connie

Happy Saturday

I feel like I am recovering from the week, it was good and we had some new kids in our group this week, praying the Holy Spirit touched their hearts and the parents told us the kids talked about what they did during VBS at home and that they had a good time, so that is a good thing.

My card today went to my sister in law.  I had purchased this stamp and paper set from Hot off the press and hadn't tried it yet so I decided to break it out, the foil diecuts come with the set too, and they suggest sanding them to reveal the silver core if you want something different than just pure gold so that is what I did and I do like the look of it.  Also on the package they show an example and so I did use their idea in coloring this.

Here is a close up picture of the birds and the sanding of the die cut fern.

This is a really pretty set, I just couldn't resist it :)

Hot off the press -- Mystic Garden stamp set, Foiled Fancies and Mystic Garden Papers
Spellbinders -- Labels one, Decorative Labels One and Grommet tags dies
Penny Black -- Sprinkles and smiles sentiment stamp
Bazzill-- Brads
Gems

Hope you have an enjoyable weekend and it isn't too HOT for you, we are still experiencing the 90's with heat index's reaching in the 100's every few days.

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Connie

Watercolor Bird

I am actually very pleased with the coloring on this bird for my friend at church, I watercolored it with the spectrum aqua markers and then cut it out, everything seemed to blend so well.

Bird stamp colored w/Spectrum Aqua Essentials markers
Cosmo Cricket -- Flueriste paper
Spellbinders -- Delicate Doiles and sentiment one dies
Martha Stewart -- Border punch

We are on our last day of VBS, it has been a good week, very tiring week but a good one.  My knees are telling me they are thankful this is the last day.  I hope to get caught up on all your blogs very soon.... I don't know how you women that work and have young kids do it all, I applaud you :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

5th Anniversary

My daughter and son in law celebrated their 5th Anniversary not to long ago and this is the card I made for them.  I have always liked this stamp set and I found it at the yard sale that my stamp store had not to long ago.

Stampin up -- Summer by the sea stamp set colored w/ Spectrum Aqua markers onto watercolor paper
Spellbinders -- Captivating squares, I inked the edges while the paper was still in the die
Tim Holtz -- Vintage shabby papers
Dew Drops

I am home once again from our trip and I am totally exhausted, we did a lot in those few short days and it was terrific seeing family again. Now I am trying to catch up on things here plus we are having Vacation Bible School at church this week so I am running on very little fumes.  It has been a long time since I have had to run after a group of 3 and 4 year olds and I am not getting any younger, but they are so cute to watch. We have a couple of new kids in our group so that is a good thing.

I am working on catching up on visiting everyone's blogs once again, it sure doesn't take long to get behind does it.  Hope you all are enjoying a wonderful summer so far, especially since we are now officially into the season :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and say Hello,

Connie

Father's Day

For my Father in law. We were able to hand deliver his card this year. I started with regular cardstock then decided to try my watercolor markers on the water, no that didn't work at all wouldn't blend so then I went to using alcohol markers on top and tried to blend it took 3 other colors just to try and make it look some what normal, I did like the effect of the stickles to give the water some shimmer.

Stampscapes -- Old Mill Lg stamp colored w/markers
Stickles -- aqua in the water
Spellbinders A2 Distressed Edges dies
Fiskars -- Corner punch
DCWV -- Tattered Time Paper

Wishing you a great week ahead.

Connie

Caterpillar

I needed a card for my 7 year old great nephew and when I saw this technique of using the Hexagons to make a caterpillar I just had to make it for his birthday.  My inspiration for the card came from Crafter's companion Inspiration Magazine Issue 3 Summer page 14.

With mine I wanted it to look like he was in lush grass so I took my embossing folder and after embossing rubbed the ink pad over it to give it some depth and bring out the design a little more, I used a white marker for his eyes that I bought at Target in their $ section and added a little black pen to that.  His antennas are flower stamens that I colored black with marker and taped to the back side of the head. Punched out the grass for a little in front of him also.

Diamond Press -- Hexagon dies came with magazine
Cuttlebug -- Floral screen embossing folder
Fiskars -- Grass punch
Hero Arts -- It's your day sentiment stamp

It has me wondering what other things can be made out of the hexagons, I have seen flowers, can't remember if I have done a card with them though, you maybe seeing one of those soon :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today and let me know you did!

Connie

Blossoms

This was a belated Birthday card for a friend at church, yes that does happen I try to be on time with my cards but that doesn't always happen.

These are a combination of rolled flowers and punched flowers that I shaped using a foam mat and a stylus to shape the petals.

Sizzix -- Branch w/leaves die
Spellbinders -- Resplendent Rectangles and Bitty Blossom dies
Martha Stewart -- Flower, leaves and butterfly punches
Stickles -- waterfall (flower centers)
Gem

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I am a bit behind again on visiting blogs we are in Michigan sight seeing and visiting with family.

Connie

Block Panel card

Hi, I am doing a post for the Dies R Us Blog today.

There are so many uses for this Frantic Stamper Color Block card panel die . Here is a picture of the die layered onto a Spellbinders A2 Matting basics A die cut.

In today's card I used different papers from my scraps bin. I stamped the sentiment panel with Paper Smooches Happy Birthday sentiment stamp set, The bird was part of the paper I cut out. Memory Box Wild feathers for the upper right panel.  Taylored Expressions Mini leaves die for the bottom right panel.  Elizabeth Craft designs - Happy Birthday die over both middle panels.  The bees are also from Elizabeth Craft Designs.

There are 3 layers to the bees, I just love this set, here is a closeup of the bees die.

I have done some ink sponging on the leaves and feathers.

Here are pictures of the dies I used in this card, links are above in the description.

Follow Dies R Us!

 

Click below for:

Store

Challenge Blog

Facebook

Remember, there is a new inspiration sample shared each and every day of the month

on our Dies R Us Inspiration Blog using a variety of dies from several different companies.

Then of course you'll want to come join us at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog.

There's a new challenge theme offered on the 1st & 15th of each month with

a gift voucher prize to one lucky winner each challenge!

OH!  And did you know we have a FB Page and PINTEREST Page?

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Connie

Rose Challenge

Heidi from my stamp group gave us the challenge to use a rose on our card, and I needed a card for a friend at church and I have had this rose stamp I picked up at the yard sale at my stamp store for awhile that needed to get some inking, so this is the card I came up with :)

I colored the rose with Spectrum markers and then hand cut it out and adding some foam tape to apply it to the card. I also pierced some holes on either side of the rose stem and threaded my floss through and tied the sentiment tag on that way.

Be sure to check out Heidi's blog, she does such pretty work with all her cards, I really love what she does with her Tapestry stamps.

JRL Designs -- Rose Romance, colored w/markers and fussy cut
Papertrey ink -- Hodge Podge papers
Spellbinders -- Fleur De Lis Rectangles
Taylored Expressions -- Mini tags die and many minis occasions sentiment stamp

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today and to let me know you did, so nice hearing from you all.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, we are having some very HOT and HUMID weather here.

Connie

Wheeeee!

One of the ladies from the Dies R us design team asked if we could make cards for her brother in law who is battling brain cancer. She mentioned he was an artist and also enjoyed funny cards, so I decided to go with a funny card and this stamped image said that for me.  I hope it brings a smile to his face.  You can read about her post HERE

After coloring the stamp, I hand cut it out and then did my cloud background that I have described on a few of my other cards and added a stitched landscape die, the sentiment comes with this stamp set :)

Art Impressions -- stamp, colored w/markers,Sorry no name and I couldn't find it when I searched for it
Poppystamps -- Stitched landscapes die

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today and letting me know you did :)

Connie

Deer in the Forest

I have a card for the Dies R us blog today that went to my little brother for his birthday a couple days ago.

I love the depth that you can get with these Memory Box Grand Forest Archway and the Memory Box Small forest archway dies, you can also purchase the medium archway too to get even more great depth but I didn't use that today.  You wouldn't have to add the leaves to it if you didn't want to, but I chose to use a couple different shades of green cardstock using the Memory Box Grove Leaves die.  Of course you need some deer in the forest too and I used Memory Box Valley deer trio.

I started out by sponging the grass, I used stick it notes along the edge that I tore to give me the grass which I sponged on using Mowed lawn distress ink with a little Forest Moss Distress ink throughout also, then turned over the notes to cover the grass and sponged on the Tumbled Glass Distress ink with a little Broken china around the edges.

To give some lift I used Scotch foam tape on the thicker area's of my trees but on the thinner branches I rolled my score tape to give it some lift, you can see in the picture the ones that I rolled already on the tree and one that I am in the process of rolling on my craft mat.  Sorry about the glare from my light on the craft mat.

Here is a picture of the side view to see more of the dimension you get.

Here are pictures of the dies I used, the links are all above.

Follow Dies R Us!

 

Click below for:

Store

Challenge Blog

Facebook

Remember, there is a new inspiration sample shared each and every day of the month

on our Dies R Us Inspiration Blog using a variety of dies from several different companies.

Then of course you'll want to come join us at the Dies R Us Challenge Blog.

There's a new challenge theme offered on the 1st & 15th of each month with

a gift voucher prize to one lucky winner each challenge!

OH!  And did you know we have a FB Page and PINTEREST Page?

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Connie

Sunset over lake

I was going to share some more pictures from our trip but that would take too much time to sort through so I thought I would post pictures of the little park we walk around close by our house. One evening we decided to go out and take pictures here because the sky looked so neat and hubby thought it would make for a pretty sunset.

I am still learning how to set up this camera, I think I take better day time shots but these were pretty neat.

As you know the sky can turn constantly at sunset.

Lastly, you just have to get one with the ducks going off into the sunset :)

Be sure to stop by tomorrow I have another post for the DiesRus blog.
Have a wonderful Sunday!!

Thanks for dropping in today!

Connie

Two step stamping

Now that I have the MISTI it sure makes lining up these two step stamping stamps so much easier. First I stamped the inside yellow color and then stamped the black outline, next time I would like to try a color a little lighter than black, I think a brown would have looked nicer, but didn't realize that until a couple of days after making this one.
There are a couple of each flower in this set along with stems and leaves. I added the little stem between the two flowers with a marker since I wanted more than one flower but there was not room for two stems.

I did faux stitching around the banner with a fine tip sharpie pen.

Penny Black -- Petal power stamp set
April Rose Illustrations -- Paper
Spellbinders -- Labels 8 die
Stamps of life -- Stand up 4 sentiments stamp
Stampendous -- Peel stickers (little gems)

I can't believe it is already the weekend again, wow how time just flies by,
Hope you all enjoy a great weekend,

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

DieCut Background

One of the girls in my cardmaking group was using a background die in a lot of neat ways and I just loved her ideas, well she sent me 3 of the cut outs so I could try using them in different ways, well mine isn't nearly creative like hers but she hadn't colored hers they were all one color so since she sent me white ones I was able to color one using my Spectrum Aqua markers and of course had to add some liquid pearls and mini dots that I colored with the markers.

Sizzix -- Brenda Walton Design Background die colored w/spectrum Aqua markers
Dienamics -- Cross -stitch rectangles die
Paper Smooches -- Happy Birthday stamp sentiment
Liquid Pearls -- Mint Green and Lemon Yellow
Candi Minis -- colored w/marker

Hope your having a great week so far, we are getting more rain today but then after that it looks like we may have a dry spell for awhile, looks like I will have to hand water my garden and flower planters for awhile.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!!

Connie