Preteen Birthday

I am not sure if 11 years old is considered Preteen or not but my great nephew is turning 11, going into junior high, it's amazing to see my nephews kids growing so fast.  I have had this stamp for quite some time, thought it was neat in the store and then got home and thought what was I thinking, I won't be able to color that, but you see this stamp has a nice color photo on the front for you to go by and I almost copied the coloring exactly.  If I would have came up with my own coloring I don't know if I would have done as well.

He fills up almost the whole card so it was hard to think of what to do with him but since he is a steam punk kind of kid I thought I would go with gears but then found a bit of fun sentiment to go with it.

Lala land Crafts -- World Traveler Luka stamp colored w/markers
Inkadinkado - All occasions sentiment stamp
Taylored Expressions -- Sprokets dies
Ki -- metal accents

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

Connie

More Forgotten Treasures

I also found these Paint 'n Press Transfers at the dollar store, I wasn't sure what they were when I bought them but there are two steps to these.  The way the instructions sound I think you are meant to use them on wood or other surfaces like that but they worked on my cardstock fine.

The process is rubbing off the first layer (the outline of the flower) then it says to paint it, but I used markers.  Then you line up the detailed layer and rub that over it, so you kind of have to guess where the middle of the flowers and leaves are going to be, but I don't think I did too bad.  I don't know if it was because I have had these for a long time or that is how much work goes into it but just let's say my arm and hand got quite the work out doing these rub ons.

I used two separate dies below to make the frame.

Delta -- Paint 'n Press Transfer-- Field of Sunflowers
Raspberry Road Designs paper
Oval punch
Spellbinders -- Classic oval lg. and Lacey ovals dies (for frame)
Hero Arts -- Birthday messages sentiment stamp
Enamel accents -- white

This just shows how we can use items that were meant for other projects on our cards, it has been fun playing with things other than stamps, but they are starting to feel neglected, may have to turn back to them for a little while :)

Terribly humid once again but I really need to get out and do some yard work this morning, just waiting for a decent time to start, don't want to be out there too early and bug my neighbors :)

Hope your week is off to a wonderful start, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Sticker Flowers

It is fun to play with no products but every once in a while I like to go back and use items that I bought many years ago for my cardmaking, those "Forgotten Treasures".  When going through my supplies I decided to go through my sticker drawer, yes I have a drawer of stickers and rubons, oh my. I came across this set I had bought at the $ store, I just think this is such a pretty sticker set, and yes I do have more from the sheet.  I added some new paper for the background and a sentiment and it was done.

The butterfly on the right has the same clear center as the one on the left, but my camera caught the reflection of the sticker on that one.  While the sentiment was still in the die I did a little shading with blue for the center.

Miss Elizabeth's -- Hydrangeas stickers
Craft Smith -- Sea glass paper
Spellbinders -- A2 matting basics A and Back to basics tags dies
Hero Arts -- It's your day sentiment stamp
Recollections -- Button Brads

Thanks so much for stopping by today and for taking the time to comment, I hope you enjoy a Beautiful weekend!

Connie

Second Birthday

My cardmaking group is celebrating it's 2nd Anniversary and the challenge was to make a card with a cupcake on it.  I didn't think I had a cupcake until I found this stamp set, I am not sure where I got it, but it didn't work with my MISTI very well, it was a little thinner than other stamps I have so I wasn't getting a good impression, so I ended up stamping with a clear block.  I used every stamp in the set, even the sentiment.

I colored in the sprinkles with a fine tip sharpie marker, clear glitter pen on the cherry and stickles on the candle flames. I wanted a mat around the die I used so I just cut a piece a little larger.

Inque Boutique -- Yummy Birthday Lil stamps
Spellbinders -- classic square lg. and Big Scalloped Ovals small dies
Crate Paper -- Party day paper
Bazzill -- brad

It is another steamy one here today, woke up this morning with all the windows steamed up on the outside again.  We were just noticing the other day that by this time of year it is usually dry enough that we don't have to mow as often but this year we can't seem to keep up with the mowing our grass is still nice and green.

Hope your week is going well, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Bird with cage

I am sharing one of the wood pieces I bought from Michaels today.  Their wood pieces seemed to be more finished and bigger, I haven't tried coloring them to know if they would take markers well, but I am sure if you wanted to paint them that would work.

I made the frame by taking two different dies and taping them onto my cardstock at the same time and cutting them at the same time. The bird cage is cut from my Cricut machine.

Recollections --Mixed Media, wood bird
Cricut Bloom cartridge for the bird cage
Spellbinders -- Labels 18 and classic ovals lg dies
Basic Grey -- Picadilly  paper and Brad
Our Daily Bread designs -- Mini tags
Gina Marie -- Birthday Messages stamp sentiment
Cheery Lynn Design's Alison's Ribbons die
Punched Flowers
Stickles -- scattered straw (flower centers)

For my longer time followers you may have remembered me talking about the oldest couple in our church, the gentleman took a very bad fall last year.  He had to move into a healthcare center that could take care of him and his wife had a bad fall too and they ended up getting into the same room after some time.  Well he was told that he wouldn't walk again, and after much hard work our Pastor showed us a video of him walking with the aid of a walker, isn't that amazing.  This card is going to his wife for her birthday with a little note letting them know how much they are missed and how happy we were to see him walking again.  It was very emotional and moving for me so I thought I would share, always good to hear amazing news.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.
Connie

I have a question for those of you that follow blogs through Bloglovin... are you getting your email updates on those who have posted?  I had realized that I hadn't received and email update in a couple of days and just went on last night and saw some of what I have missed when I signed on, but it was so much easier getting email updates, just wondering if it is just me or if that is happening to everyone, Thanks.

Get well soon

A friend at church had to have surgery and so I broke out this watercolor panel and had this background panel I had done earlier for a challenge with my stamp group so I thought it would be perfect for this. I colored this one with markers instead of watercoloring this time.

HERE is a link  to the tutorial on the background.
I used two different ribbon dies for the borders and I was done.

Taylored Expressions -- Keep in Touch, watercolor panel, colored w/markers
Wink of stella -- clear glitter pen on flowers
Cheery Lynn Designs - Alison's ribbons die

We are enjoying a Beautiful, sunny, cool morning today, brings a big smile to my face.

The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

This is my best verse for closing out a church service, May you all have a blessed week ahead!

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Bird in cage

My hubby and I came across these wood pieces at Hobby Lobby the other day, they come in a bag of a few different style cages, my hubby said they would be a perfect size for a card, I told him I had bought some from Michael's a little while back that I hadn't used yet so I didn't feel like I should buy more but he said oh get it, and who am I to argue :)  I thought I need to use them right away so this is my first try at using them, I will share the ones I bought at Michaels soon.

I thought this paper was so pretty for a sky background, I added a little glitter pen to the bottom of my clouds but it doesn't show up very well.
Here is a close up of the wood cages, as you can see they are very thin, and although this was hand delivered to a friend at church, I think they will go through the mail pretty well too. I only colored the part of the bird that you would see if he was in the cage.  I left the cage the wood color.

Woodpile Fun -- wooden bird cage
Memory Box Woodland branch and Grove leaves
DCWV -- THe primrose stack paper
My sentiments exactly -- Little birdie sentiment stamp set
Wink of Stella -- clear glitter pen
Fiskars -- Cloud punches

Hope you are enjoying a good day today, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Ray of Sunshine

One of the girls in my cardmaking group was using this die and did many cards with it and they were so pretty I thought they would be perfect for a friend who was having surgery and another that was celebrating a birthday.

I cut two pieces of paper and used the opposite for each card.
First off I wanted to send some golden rays of sunshine for my friend who is recovering from surgery.  I chose this picture of the card because it shows how much thicker the gold metallic paper is than the designer paper, I like how that pops.

The die I used in the center reminds me of the sun, so I thought that would be perfect for the center and I heat embossed the sentiment in gold also.

Taylored Expressions -- Ray of Sunshine
Craft Smith -- Chelsea lane paper
DCWV -- Metallic stack paper
spellbinders -- Lg. classic inverted scalloped circles
Mama Elephant -- Blessed sentiment stamp set
Flower punch
Stickles -- champagne (flower centers)

Taylored Expressions -- Ray of Sunshine
Craft Smith -- Chelsea lane paper
DCWV -- Metallic stack paper
Inkadinkado -- Garden Greetings stamp set
Spellbinders -- Classic oval and classic scalloped oval dies
Liquid Pearls -- Lemon Yellow

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop in today and letting me know you did,

Connie

Wonderful day

In our stamp group when we have a week of challenges sometimes the person holding the challenge will put all the names of those that participated in the challenge in a hat and draw a name and send that person a little something, and Heidi, sent me this Stamp set which has a lot of little images some with sentiments included and this is my first time using it.  I don't often use the smaller decorative dies on my cards but these little stamps are just perfect to use the smaller dies in my spellbinder sets.

I started off using the sketch by Mojo Monday number 210, but then I ended up leaving out some so it isn't quite like the sketch.  I love sketches when I am in need of a card and nothing is coming to mind right away, great jumping off point.

I thought the flower in the stamp was quite close to the flowers in the paper.  I inked the die while the paper was still in the die to add the red touches to the ends, I so wanted to add more shading around with inking but I made myself stop there, LOL!

Inadnkado -- Garden Greetings stamp set, colored with marker
Spellbinders -- Exquisite Labels 11
Martha Stewart -- Border punch
American Crafts -- Jute

Oh my I forgot to right down the name of the paper pack I used for this, if anyone is interested let me know and I will look it up for you.

It is going to turn HOT again tomorrow but the last couple of days I sure have enjoyed having the doors open, reminding us that Autumn season is on it's way :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop in today and hope your week is off to a great start!
Connie

Watercolor panels

I used my Spectrum Aqua markers on this panel from Taylored Expressions, I colored directly and took my waterpen to move the color around.  The corner decorations are the inside of the Marvelous Square die by Spellbinder.

Taylored Expressions -- Keep in touch Watercolor Panel, colored w/spectrum Aqua markers
DCWV -- The Primrose paper
Spellbinders -- Marvelous Squares die (corners)

We have had rain the last couple of mornings but it has mainly been a nice soft steady rain, my heart goes out to those dealing with the flooding, a couple girls from my cardmaking group are having to deal with it and they are all told not to get out, and some of the shelters are even being effected and are getting flooded.

Hope you are enjoying a peaceful Sunday, Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Birthday Garland

A few of the girls in my cardmaking group were doing these cards and I thought they looked so cute and would be a quick card to make.  You start with a 4" square of paper, cut it diagonally and put them in the corners of an A2 size card. (4 1/4 x 5 1/2) That leaves you a middle section to add whatever you wanted.  I laid down the sentiment die to see if it would fit and I liked the fit, just thought it needed a little extra, so I used my Tim Holtz spritzer and a distress marker to add a bit of splatters to the background, added my sentiment. Felt it still needed an extra something so I added the sequins.  Thought it still needed a little extra something so I made a frame using my two largest spellbinders rectangle dies.

Isn't it funny how you can see someone else make a clean and simple card and think that is cute and then you go to make one and it just doesn't seem right that it needs something more, I think the frame just gives it a little extra.

Memory Box -- Happy Birthday garland die
Sequins -- Iced Silver
Spellbinders -- A2 Matting basics A dies for frame
Tim Holtz -- spritzer tool and distress marker

We are back to the HOT, HUMID days again.  Woke up at 6:00 am this morning with 79 degrees and so humid that all the windows were wet from the thick humidity, couldn't see out, the sun is starting to melt it now.  Sounds like a day to get things done inside.  Hope you have a good and safe weekend.

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

Connie

Masculine Birthday

I haven't had a masculine card to share in awhile, but come fall time is when I have a lot of guy birthday's.  But today I am sharing the card I will be giving our son in law later today as we celebrate his birthday.  I can't say how nice it is to have the kids living so close to us once again, 45 minute drive is so much closer than 13 hours :)

This leaf die was purchased a few years back, do you notice the stitch marks, they were way before their time, LOL, everything has stitched marks on it now.  I checked and this dies date on it was 2007, it was one of my first dies I bought.

This whole card started with the corrugated paper I found at JoAnns, and I just started adding things to it.  Tore the edges and then gave them a bit of ink, cut a chunk of burlap and added it with the brads, cut the die and did a little chalking in the center and shading with some ink around the edges, I really love this for a masculine card.

DCWV -- Corrugate neutrals paper
Distress inks -- Forest Moss
Sizzix -- Leaves die
Die-namics -- Just my type sentiment stamp
Bazzill Brads

Hope your week is going well, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and for letting me know you did.

Connie

Country Rose

Hi, welcome to another Dies R Us post.

Today I am sharing the Die-Namites Rosy Rose, I started off with watercolor paper and using Spun Sugar distress inks on my palette with a waterbrush I added the distress ink to the paper the size of my rose die cut. Die cut the rose out and glued it onto my water color paper as soon as the paper was dry. Then I cut around the die leaving a little border around the die.  I decided I wanted a little more contrast in the color so I added some pink chalk inside to give the look of a little more dimension in the rose.

 I then cut a 4" by 5 1/2" piece of cardstock and added one of the Memory Box Country stitches dies for my borders. You know I had to use some Distress inks in Antique Linen to shad around the edges. I used foam dots behind the Memory Box Fresh Foliage die and the rose die when adding them to the card.  I finished it off using a Poppystamps Pinpoint Main Street tags die , with a stamped sentiment from Taylored Expressions many mini occasions sentiment stamp set.

Here is a closeup of the rose and the stitched border.

I think next time I will try using the rose with some pattern paper behind, or you can keep all the insides in the die too or inlay with another paper the uses are endless :)

Here are pictures of the dies I used with the links above in the description.

Follow Dies R Us!

 

Click below for:

Store

Challenge Blog

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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 for stopping by today,

Connie

Acetate Challenge

Stamp Tv was having an acetate challenge, they had you using acetate that you can emboss on, but instead I used Rub ons that I had in white instead of embossing with white embossing powder and I just used transparency instead of acetate.  I think you need to be a member to view it, I am not sure but this is the Link to the challenge .  I made a smaller area that I had my rub ons, hers was almost the whole front of the card, but I wanted a little more area to write my sentiment inside.

Making Memories -- Doodles Rub ons
Gina Marie stamps -- Birthday words sentiment
Elizabeth Craft designs -- Flower Mosaic embossing folder
American crafts -- twine

I have heard talk from some people that the rubons start to go bad over time and I have had these rubons for quite some time and they seemed to work great for me, I should go through my others and see how they are fairing over time, you maybe seeing more cards using rub ons in the future :)

Stop by again tomorrow, I will be sharing another Dies R us post for you.
Hope your enjoying a fantastic weekend, I went out this morning and there was actually a cool breeze, it was beautiful!

Thanks for stopping by,

Connie

Bluebird

Well honestly I am not sure if this is suppose to be a bluejay or not but I decided to color him that way.  This comes from a set of Martha Stewart bird stamps and there are no names of what the birds are, so that gives you license to color them anyway you want :)

Wow no pattern paper here, I know a shock huh, I have been doing a few like that here lately, not sure what has come over me.  But I am sure it won't last long, I have too many papers that need to be used. I did do some inking around the die before taking the paper out of the die and then added a little darker blue around the edges after taking the image out of the die.

Martha Stewart -- Bird Stamps, colored w/ markers
Spellbinders -- Labels 29
Gina Marie stamps -- Birthday words sentiment stamp
Gems

We had a day without rain yesterday and this morning it has rained again, it has been great for my garden, saving us money on having to water that's for sure, but I could really use less humidity.  I will have to say though we were really blessed with a nice spring this year, so that was nice.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today and for leaving your comments, it's neat to hear from you,

Connie

Wildflower sympathy

Our niece's on my husbands side of the family had both lost their last Grandparent, their Grandpa and these are the cards I made for them.  I had just recently bought the Quick Cards Magazine and in this issue it came with both a stamp set and border embossing folder that I thought would work well for sympathy cards.

First one I embossed my border, scored an area above that I could add the sentiment and ran my ink pad over the embossed area to highlight it.

Wildflower border Embossing folder(Quick cards Magazine)
Taylored Expression -- Care & Comfort II sentiment stamp
Martha Stewart -- Butterfly punch
Gem

Sally Mountain -- Wild Flower stamp set (Quick cards Magazine)
Hero Arts -- Everyday sayings stamp set
Queen & co. -- Chocolate Delight pearls

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop in today, and thanks so much for leaving your comments, I so appreciate it!

Connie

Special Day

Hello, back again for another post for the Dies R Us Blog.

I thought this set would be great for all year around because you can color the the flowers for whatever time of year it may be, this would be great for Easter, Summer as I am doing and I am thinking how pretty this would be in Red for Christmas :)  You could put a stamped scene in the middle and have the flowers framing it, but today I needed a Birthday card so I went with a stamped sentiment.

I started my A2 Size card with a Spellbinders A2 Devine Eloquence die for the framing of my card.  Check out all your dies, some of them have openings that you can ink through the die and it stencils ink onto your card, and not only Spellbinders is doing this there are other companies now.

The Memory Box Seraphine Laurel die I colored with markers, the die set comes with extra flowers, so you can bring dimension to your sprigs, isn't that pretty, I love when we can bring dimension to our cards, but still flat enough to mail with no extra postage. I also used the Memory Box Leavenworth Butterfly trio dies for my butterfly, they don't happen to sell this one anymore but I did a search for butterflies and you can see HERE all the great butterflies in the store.

The sentiment is from Stampendous Birthday assortment stamp set and I also added Stickles in Warm Lipstick to the center of the flowers..

Here is a close up of the layering of the flowers.

As you can see I tried the shadow stamping on the sentiment.

Here is the set I used in today's card.

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