Steampunk and Eagle Festival

This is not normally a style I go with but I am challenging myself this year to use my papers, so here we go, the image is part of this paper pack as is the butterflies, I fussy cut them from a sheet of nothing but butterflies and popped up the wings. I added sparkle to the butterfly wings too.

Graphic 45 - Steampunk Debutante paper pack
Gina Marie designs- Birthday words sentiment stamp
Spellbinders - Labels trio die
Spectrum noir - clear sparkle pen on wings

I thought I would share some pictures I took when we went up to Alton Illinois for the Alton-Audubon Eagle Ice Festival.

On the Illinois side of the Mississippi River they had some ice carvings in the parking lot of the visitors center.

Then we headed across the river to the Missouri side to the Audubon building where they had all kinds of information on all kinds of birds and how they take care of injured birds and this little one stole my heart, just a beauty!

Outside they have a path you can walk down to the river and view the birds, my pictures of them didn't turn out all that great but you can see the bit of snow we had on the ground, it was a chilly day.

We headed back to the Illinois side after our little hike and went back to the rivers edge to get some shots of the frozen Mississippi River. Yes that's my hubby out on the ice taking pictures, I was smart and stayed up on land.

They ice crystals on the water were just beautiful with the sun hitting them just right.

Of course you have to stay for the sunset.

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

Connie

Robot Birthday

My nephew has remarried this past year and his new wife had a boy, I don't know a lot about him so I am hoping this was something he liked.

My mind's eye - Boy crazy stamps and paper, colored w/markers
Spellbinders - Lg. Deckled Rectangles die
Stamps of Life - Minis 4 circles sentiment stamp
Specturm noir Sparkle pen

It was so nice yesterday we went on a little trip to a park, we saw an amazing sunset, so nice to have these warmer days to enjoy in the middle of winter.  Hope you enjoyed a nice weekend!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and say Hi,

Connie

Friendship

I did a little bit of water coloring with this art impressions stamp, I really liked this sentiment for my close friends.

The window to my heart is a beautiful view of friendship that I treasure.

Art Impressions - Cottage window stamp, water colored
Spellbinders - Majestic Labels one die
Sassafras - Mix and mend paper (tan)
Echo park - Fine and Dandy paper (flower paper)
Paper studio - Washi tape
Gina Marie design - Birthday words stamp sentiment
Diamond toppings - starlight

Hope your enjoying a nice weekend, we had some really nice weather and we went to a trail and walked a couple miles was so good to get out!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Palette Challenge

I was in need of another masculine card, so when I saw this Inspiration Palette Challenge J1718 over at the Repeat Impression blog I thought it was a good place to start. It looks like they have challenges every week but you have a few weeks to get them done, which is very nice :)

In keeping with trying to use more of my patterned paper I have stamped the image and made the tag and background all from the same paper pack, the punched strip is cardstock. I used the same border punch to punch my sentiment tag.

Artistic Outpost - The Outpost stamp set, stamped w/ Memento London fog ink
Best Occasions - Mixed Media Paper
Spellbinders - A2 matting basics A die
Fiskars - border punch
Our Daily Bread designs - Mini tag sentiment stamp
Fashion Bead paint - silver

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

Connie

Embossing and Plaid

You all need to sit down because shocker of all shockers I actually made a couple Christmas cards.  Generally I wait until the very last moment to make mine, probably because I pack away all my stuff and so I wait until that is all I do and I do them all at once, but it is getting very stressful to do it that way, so hopefully I can keep this up all year and will be able to have at least half done by Christmas :)

My Stamping groups challenge was to use plaid, so I did that in both these cards and I also saw on Janice's blog, that she is now a team designer for that  they were doing an embossing challenge, so I decided to combine the challenges.

So head over to Winter Wonderland Blog if you would like to play along.
I decided to do both dry and wet embossing on my card.  I forgot to use my anti static pad and after dry embossing my background I was rubbing my embossing ink over the raised area, I couldn't tell if I was getting good coverage so I ended up going over every dot with my embossing pen doing a section at a time and applying the embossing powder, good thing I only did one of these :)  I also used gold embossing powder for the sentiment on the tag.

Cuttlebug- Swiss dot folder (embossed with gold powder)
PoppyStamps- Pinpoint Main Street tag die
Studio G - Sentiment stamp embossed in gold
Button, colored w/marker
Ribbon
Washi tape

Next I stamped the plaid background stamp using Distress Oxide Lucky clover ink onto patterned paper. Used the same paper to die cut my flower.

Stampin up- plaid background stamp
Poppystamps- Blooming Poinsettia die
Impression Obsession- Pine branch die
Taylored Expression - Joy  die

Wish me luck in keeping this up for the rest of the year.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Beach Birthday

My Niece and her family went on a trip to Florida just before my Great Nephews birthday, and she shared pictures of all the boys playing in the water and so that is where my inspiration for this card came from.

I used flocking for the sand, and punched my birds from gray paper so they looked more like seagulls :) Sponged on the water with distress inks, adding a few highlights with my white gel pen and used my homemade stencil for the clouds. 

Stamp image from a swap - colored w/markers and cut out
Distress Ink - Mermaid Lagoon (water)
Doodlebug designs - Crushed velvet flock (sand)
RS Tapestry - pegstamps- Trellis leaf vine and grass blades stamps
Memory Box - Birds dies

Hope you will have a lovely Sunday!
Thanks so much for stopping by,

Connie

Thanks

I hope you are not getting tired of my images from my coloring calendar, it is like having a different stamp every time.

I forgot to post this with my other thank you's I sent out.

I punched the border twice to get that look, I think this is the first time I have been able to line up a punch border, we want talk how many years that took me, LOL!

Daily calendar coloring image, colored w/markers
DCWV - Linen closet paper
Martha Stewart - Border punch, cut twice
Reminisce- thank you sticker

Wishing you a fun and creative weekend, thanks so much for stopping by,

Connie

Sketch Challenge

My cardmaking group had another sketch challenge, sketches are such a nice point to start if you go in to make a card from someone and you have no clue where to begin.

Can you tell I am ready for spring anytime now :) I cut out the die with white cardstock and then colored each individual piece and then pieced them back together, I don't know if I will do this again with these tiny pieces especially in the flowers. I used a stitching die to add a bit more to the blue panel.

Memory Box - Fancy potted flower and Country stitches dies
Spellbinders - Labels 8 die
Echo park - Fine and dandy paper
Sassafras - mix and mend paper
Wimsy stamps - simple sentiments
Dew drops

Hope you all are having a great week so far. Thanks so much for stopping by,

Connie

Use up challenge

One of the girls in my stamping group suggested that we think of what supplies we want to use more of in 2018, and all I know is I have so much paper in my room it is crazy, so for the challenge I used two different papers for layering of my background and then another piece to frame my stamped image and some of that same paper to make my tag.  All to often when I got to make a tag I grab for white cardstock, maybe I will try to use more pattern paper this year for tags :)  I used almost 3 entire sheets of 6x6 paper on just one card with very few scraps :)

I was trying to bring out the blue in the paper with my coloring but I think I may have been a bit heavy with the dark blue and for the life of me I couldn't get it to blend out.

I also added a bit of sparkle with my stickles to bring out the snow and sparkle in the river.You can see it a little better in the close up.

Northwoods Rubber stamps - Eagle pair over winter stream frame stamp, colored w/markers
Stickles - Waterfall and diamond
Bobunny - Welcome home collection paper
Spellbinders - A2 matting basics A&B dies, Back to basics tags
Perfect layers - 1/8 for matting of the stamp
Impression Obsession - Sentiments II stamp

I can't really tell with all the blowing out there but I think we got around an inch of snow over night and the temps are going to fall throughout the day and by tonight with windchill it will be -15.  They were not kidding when they said this was going to be a cold winter, our normal for this time is 40 degrees.  But this next weekend it is going to warm up again, so if we can just get through this week we will be ok :)

Hope your week is off to a good start and thanks so much for taking the time to stop by an say Hello :)

Connie

Happy together

When I saw this stamp I said Awwwweee is that ever cute.   I just had to use it on my daughters birthday card.  Now as you can see I had a bit of trouble with this Arbor sign post.  it comes in a few pieces so that you can hand the sign from either side of the post, which probably would have been ok if I was gluing it right down to my card but I wanted it to be free standing, you should have seen me trying everything I had to get this to stay straight and I had it until I went to take the picture and it dropped again. 

Here is a close up of this too cute stamp.

There was a couple of little flowers in the set also so I stamped them a few times to make a border, now looking at it I wish I would have cut around them like I did the girl, the things we learn after we have sent the card.

My Favorite things - Happy together stamp set, colored w/markers
Sizzix - Basic Stepups die
Taylored Expressions -- Arbor Sign post die and Many mini occasions sentiment stamp
Spellbinders - Whimsical tree die
Poppystamps -- country fence die

The bitter cold has settled in one again, with the windchill this morning we were at 1 degree.  Hope you are all enjoying a nice weekend and staying warm!

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

Connie

Thank you

I am back again Guest Designer over at the Cropstop blog.

 Have you sent out all your Thank you's yet?  That special gift or neighbor who shoveled your walk.

I know this is spring like but who doesn't like flowers and butterflies all year through!

I started out using my Colorburst to make my background.  As you can see in the picture below there is a white edge around my piece, I tape it down to a clipboard, and after spritzing it with water to release the colors I just let it sit and dry, you get so much less warping of your watercolor paper that way. Also go ahead and do a large sheet, then you can cut it down to your card size and the left overs can be use for other projects.

Next I embossed the piece with Darcie Butterfly on a Flower embossing folder.  Then I took my Distress Oxide inks and applied them to my Craft Sheet adding spritz of water to them and using my paint brush to color the embossed areas.

I can't say enough about the craft sheet, I have it on my desk at all times.  I taped it down to my desk using Scor-tape and it hasn't budged after many years of use, I love it so much that I bought another one just to have on hand just in case I want or need to change it out at some point.

I hope this gave you some inspiration to let those in your life that are so helpful or generous to know how much you appreciate them.

Thanks to you for joining me today,

Connie

Enjoy little moments

More masculine today, this time using images from my coloring calendar. Both the balloon and clouds from different sheets, both colored with markers, applied to cardstock and then hand cut out.
The paper already had a sentiment on it so no need to add anything more.

Daily calendar coloring images - colored w/markers
We R memory keepers - For the record paper

We are getting ready for a 40 degree drop in temps, with freezing rain turning to snow this evening, oh the joys of winter.  Praying for all those in the path of the mudslides in California, they have been through so much out there.

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

Connie

Birthday Wishes

I hope this looks masculine enough, my great nephew turned 21.

The birthday definition and the round happy birthday stamp are both from the same stamp set. Washi tape to separate the two panels.   I added a bit of stickles to the flame on the candle and did a little shading around the edges.

Hero Arts -- Birthday wishes stamp set
Tim Holtz - Rose design washi tape
Spellbinders - A2 matting basics A, lg. circle and inverted scalloped circle dies
Stickles - Diamond
Distress ink - Tea dye and Bundled sage

We are above freezing after over two weeks of below freezing temperatures, it was foggy today but at least it didn't feel so bad having to go to the lab for my annual blood work today. 

Thanks again for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Thanks

My cardmaking group had a challenge over the weekend to make a card using this sketch.  Since I have a large box of scraps that is over flowing I thought this would be a great challenge to do and I needed more Thank you cards.  Now it wasn't until after I had it all made and went to take pictures that I thought wow this would make a great Thanksgiving card with all the colors, LOL!

Scrap papers
Spellbinders - Circle Delight die
Ms. Sparkle & co. - Give thanks stamps


I wanted to say for those of you living in the states, have you checked out the papers, stamps and embellishments at JoAnns that are in little bins, I think they ranged anywhere from $1.50 up.  They are the Ms. Sparkle & co. brand.  I decided to give both the papers and now the stamps a try and see what the quality is of them and I will have to say that the paper has a nice thick quality to it and this thanks stamp is from them too and I did have to stamp it a couple of times to get a nice thick coverage but I have to do that on other stamps too, I just think they are good quality especially for the money.  I am going to go back and see if they have any new products for spring.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, hope you have a wonderful week,

Connie

Snoopy

Back many years ago a group I was in did a swap of stamped images and I still have a few left that I didn't use. It works perfect for a teen boy card I think.  I colored him with markers.

I used the Mojo Monday sketch #88 for the layout of the card.

Stamp Image- from friend colored w/markers
Spellbinders - classic circle and Lg. classic inverted scallop circles dies
Crate paper - DIY shop
Taylored Expressions - Many mini occassions sentiment stamp
Candy dots - blue
Washi tape

It's going to warm up tomorrow, finally above freezing but it is going to rain and they say it will freeze when it hits since we have had two weeks of freezing temps, this is what I hate about winter.
Hope you stay safe wherever you are, I heard a lot of people on the east coast are without power.

Have a great weekend and thanks so much for stopping by,

Connie

Spotlight

Hi, I am on the Cropstop blog today sharing a card.


A friend gave me this stamp and when I first saw it I thought of sunshine, and this time of year when there are more days of gray skies, why not add some sunshine to someone's day.

I decided to make my own background, so I started with my Distress inks Scattered Straw, Shabby Shutters and Tumbled glass, I applied them to my cardstock with a sponge applicator. Making sure to apply the scattered straw where I would be placing my flower.

I embossed the background with a Sizzix  embossing folder.

Next I stamped my stamp with Mustard seed ink using my Misti on the top flower portion of the stamp, then I took my Carved Pumpkin ink and added it to the flower using the corner of my ink pad to the area's that are striped. Using the Shabby Shutters and My Favorite things cactus ink I inked the bottom leaf portion of the stamp. Later I decided to add some Stickles in yellow to the flower to give it some sparkle.

Now here is a little tip for you, when using these inks if you aren't getting a total coverage or want to give it a bit more mottled look, leave any ink remaining on your stamp and spritz with a touch of water, this will give a neat look to your stamping.

Next I cut out the Poppystamps Climbing Vine and Picket fence dies.  I cut the fence first in kraft cardstock and then in brown for more dimension.

I cut a small piece of cardstock into a little square added my stamped Taylored Expression, many mini occasions stamped sentiment and using my ink sponge tool around the edges. Made a couple little holes in the top, threaded my jute from the back to the front and tied a couple small knots to the front and looped it over the fence.

I hope this gave you some inspiration to share some sunshine to someone who might need it.

Flower Fairies

Back with another card using an image from Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine.  I thought this fairy was so sweet, and I loved how the papers that came with it matched with the artwork so well.  I just happened to have some polka dot ribbon that worked great with it too.

Cardmaking and Papercraft magazine - Fairy image and papers
Our Daily Bread design - Mini tags die and mini tags sentiment stamp
Ribbon
Brad

I am sharing my card today with The house that stamps built blog things with wings challenge, you don't have to use their stamps, I am hoping mine is ok this is not a stamp but clipart image.

They predicted cold for this winter and so far it is happening, we have had such mild weather the last few winters that this is just crazy, our normal for this time of year is 40 so these teens and below are strange.

Hope you are staying warm wherever you are.
Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today and letting me know you have :)

Connie

Happy New Year

I think I am now finished with all my Christmas and New Year cards.  There were many snowflakes in that coloring calendar, but because it is hard for me to do too many of the same card I changed up the coloring and backgrounds of the last bunch :)

I thought this cup would work great with the warm wishes sentiment I was using on these cards.

Since it is freezing in most of the United States right now, I am sending on my warm wishes to you all, and for everyone I pray that 2018 brings you much Joy and Happiness, Great Health and Peace to our world!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Connie