Enjoy

Wow can you believe we have made it through another year.  It has been a year of many changes and challenges for us, but with God by our side we have came through and although everything is not how we would like it to be right now, we trust that God has it under control.

I hope you all have an enjoyable evening celebrating the start of a new year.

Today's card is another that I had made before Christmas, and I grabbed this image that I had printed off from my Printmaster CD awhile ago and never used it for what I was planning and thought it would make a nice card for my young great nephew. I used some distress inks around the image.

Image printed from Printmaster CD
Recollections -Awesome boy paper
Fiskars -Essential sayings sentiment stamp

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

Connie

Retirement

My hubby's co-worker retired after 35 years of civilian service for the Air Force.  My hubby has worked with her for the past 11 years and we both have become good friends with her. She always loves to get my cards so I had to do an extra special one for her retirement.

I used paper and stamp from Hot off the press. Added a little bit of white gel pen to the center of the flower.

Hot off the press - Botanical Frames stamp set, colored w/markers and Mystic Garden paper
Spellbinders - Labels one, Scalloped Borders two and Back to basics tags dies
Martha Stewart - Seam binding
Safety pin
Taylored Expressions - Many mini's occasion sentiment stamp

Thanks so much for stopping by today, hope you enjoy a nice relaxing weekend!

Connie

Preteen

My  great nephew turned 12, it was hard to concentrate on what card to make for him because at the time I was also in the middle of making Christmas cards, so I turned to my boy themed paper pack for an idea. This is all from the paper pack except for the little frame I made by putting to dies together and cutting them out to highlight his age.

Recollections - Awesome boy paper pack
Pawsitively Pawesome designs - Mini stitched square die to make frame

Thanks for stopping by today,

Connie

Let it snow

Over at the Double D challenge blog they have a Let it snow challenge right now. Once I realized I didn't have all my Christmas cards done that I wanted to do in time to get to people before Christmas I decided to start on winter themed cards, and this challenge was perfect.  I had just received this big snowflake die in the recent Cardmaking and papercraft magazine so you know I had to use it :)

I started off by using a few different Distress inks to make the background, then splashed a little water on the background and lifted with a paper towel,  sorry I forgot to write down which ones I used.

Sara Signature collection- winter wonderland- Frosty Christmas die set, big snowflake
Martha Stewart- snowflake punches
Simon Says - Tiny words Christmas
Distress ink background

Did anyone go out yesterday to get any deals, we did and didn't find much.  I almost came home with a kitty but I took too long to decide if I should adopt it and when we went back someone had already adopted it.

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Connie

Recycle

I am going for a short post today since I just checked my blog and instead of my words I wrote yesterday it is just blocks of white.

My sisters mother in law knows I made cards so she cut up cards she was given and gave me chunks of them to use on cards, some of it is really nothing I can use but I was looking at them again and thought if I cut these out right up to the images which are layered already, all I would have to do is draw in some stems.

I liked the sparkles on this paper for the background and added a couple of punched leaves to the drawn stems and I was done.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Connie

Merry Christmas

Wishing all of you a Blessed Christmas!

The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Cards i made for my siblings, using Our Daily Bread poinsettia wreath stamp set.

Connie

Christmas eve

I know everyone is probably busy with preparations for Christmas, today I am making Christmas sugar cookies, we have tried not to have sweets in the house but we decided to go for it this year :)  Then this evening is our Christmas eve service at church, I think this is the service I look forward to the most each year, Christ couldn't die for our sins if he hadn't first come down and to be born on earth, an amazing gift we were given and it deserves our celebrating of it in his home!  I hope you all have the ability to do so, not only on this special occasion but every week of the year!

I have the last of the cards to share that I made using more of the Coloring for Calm daily coloring calendar.

BasicGrey - Picadilly paper
Coloring for calm daily coloring calendar image, colored w/markers
Simon says - Tiny words Christmas sentiment stamp

The rest of these I was on a roll and forgot to write down the supplies I used.

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

Connie

Older Stamp Challenge

Over at the Flower challenge blog the challenge is to use an old flower stamp.  I think I use this stamp every year for at least one card. The date on it is 2006.

Stampabilities- poinsettia stamp
Lilybee designs - jingle paper
Martha Stewart - leaf punch

I was so busy yesterday I forgot to post any cards so I have a few more to share. The next two use embossing folders, this first one I added nuvo gold mousse.

Sizzix - Textured Impressions Embossing folder
Nuvo - Mousse Indian gold rubbed over raised areas of embossing folders
Anna Griffin - Christmas paper

 I used Tim Holtz, cardstock, when you sand the raised embossed areas the color behind is lighter than the top. Had to add a red nose :) Cut the sentiment die twice

Darice - Reindeer Corner embossing folder, sanded
Tim Holtz card stock
american crafts - Twine
Spellbinders - Holiday sentiment die, cut twice

Lastly do you remember This post of hanging ornaments, well I have had the inner portion of the ornaments sitting on my desk ever since starring at me challenging me to use them, so this is what I came up with, I was able to get 3 more cards made using them, the white ones were colored with Spectrum noir sparkle markers.

I drew in the strings to hang them and added some gems to the tops.

Well that is it for me today, so glad to say that I am feeling so much better, still think there is some lingering in my chest but oh so much better.  Hope you are all well too,

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Connie

Special Delivery

These 3 cards were all made from the same paper pack, with just a few nuvo drops added here and there.

I have a question for card makers and scrapbookers, do you have a glue stick that doesn't warp your card stock.  I decided to go with glue sticks to apply the papers to the card base and they seemed to really warp my cards.  I had finished the stick I was using so I am now trying a new brand hoping it will work better, but thought I would ask if you have a favorite.

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to stop by today. 

Connie

Card Toppers

I had bought this set of card toppers last year and never made any because I thought they were just punched out pieces that you layered together that made the decoupaged scene, well it all needed to be hand cut and I just didn't have the time last year, this year I decided I would do a few of them, as you can see I only managed two cards, I will have plenty for the years to come, especially if I only do 2 a year, LOL!

This page had enough on it so that I could make two cards and layered them 3 deep, I forgot to take side pictures so that you could see the dimension of them better. The sentiments came in the paper pack also. I just added some gems to them.

Joanna Sheen- Thomas Kinkade Decoupage Card toppers
Lilybee designs - Jingle paper
Crystal stickers

Thanks for stopping by,
Connie

More Christmas

More images from the Coloring for calm daily coloring calendar.  I think I forgot to mention yesterday that all of these were colored w/pencils.

I have so many images I can still use and since I bought two years of calendars I have doubles of some things. It works well for me because it is hard for me to do many of the same thing.

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Connie

Christmas coloring

I broke out my coloring calendar images for these cards. This set all went to my nieces and nephews, I will share the rest next time.

I didn't write down all the papers and sentiments I used on these, I was in too much of a hurry.

The snowflakes on this one are eyelets  I cut out a chunk that is suppose to look like an iceberg.

Snowflakes on this last one was a combo of punches and stamped snowflakes.

I am right in the middle of a very bad cold, caught it from my hubby, but I should feel better by Christmas so that will be good :)

Hope you are well, and thanks so much for stopping by for a visit,

Connie

Simply Adore You

I was going through past cards I had made for my hubby and realized I had never used this set from Heartfelt creations on a card for him.  I found a great sentiment to put on the inside for him mentioning sunsets and so I went with this card topper that comes in the paper set for my background to the deer tree and bird stamps I added to complete the scene!

I also added some clear sparkle pen to the sunset and the water, I am not very good with my up close pictures, but this gives you an idea :)

Heartfelt creations - Woodsy Wonderland paper, Woodsy Treescape stamps and dies and woodsy critters stamps and dies, colored w/markers
My Favorite things - Essential sentiments
Pebbles - Candy dots
Spectrum noir clear sparkle pen on sunset and water

We have had a lot of rain over the past few days, the weather man said yesterday that if it had been snow we would have had a foot of snow, I am so thankful it was rain and that we didn't have flooding, the water is staying in the ditch out back.

Hope all is well with you and thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Make a wish

My Great nephew is in his early 20's and is going to school to become a nurse, he is so good with people and very caring, he has picked the perfect field to go into. He has one year to go and he says this last year was the hardest yet, so he needed a nice relaxing card, and what is more relaxing then a bird sitting on a branch :)  This bird sticker already had a little branch on it, but since I wanted to add my own branch from my coloring calendar to it I cut off the branch that was on the sticker.

It is hard to see but that background paper has the word Today over and over on it.

Anna Griffin - Avian collection bird sticker
Coloring for Calm - Branch, colored w/markers
Crate Paper - DIY shop paper
Spellbinders - A2 matting basics A die
Hot off the press - Dazzles - 130 tiny words and phrases

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

Connie

Sip by Sip

My card today for my daughters birthday measures 5 x 6 1/2 inches. A little bigger than I normally make but I wanted to add a little bit more to it.

I bought this particular stamp set for her, she loves her coffee, unlike me who doesn't drink it at all. I used another from this set a couple years ago for her birthday. She is going through her finals at Yale getting her Doctorate degree and is under a lot of pressure so I liked this sentiment to go with the image, perfect timing.

I liked the roses in this paper set to go with the cups but couldn't find a good match with my marker colors.

Power Poppy - Short Stacks stamp set, image and sentiment, colored w/markers
Our Daily Bread Designs - Shabby Rose Collection paper
Spellbinders - Classic Oval and A2 curved borders one dies
Diamond Dazzlers gems

It is warming up and we have sunshine, oh how that always lifts me up :)
Hope you are enjoying a good week where you are,
Thanks so much for taking out the time to stop by, I know how busy everyone is getting,

Connie

Your day

It was time to make a card for my Nephew that is in his last year of school, turning 18, couldn't think of what to do, but then was seeing his senior pictures with him in his football uniform, and I decided to go with the same thing I did on This Card Here.  The boys go to different high schools but both schools colors are red and white. 

The paper I used for the background had stripes but I added the dirt marks with a stamp set, we know the boys can get pretty dirty playing football. The numbers are from a die set.  I am glad I ended up going with this card, I even got a message from him saying it was his favorite card I have made him yet :) 

My Favorite things - Jersey Die and Distressed Patterns stamp
Taylored Expressions - Whimsy #s die
Crate paper - DIY shop paper
Gina Marie stamps - Birthday words stamp

It sure feels like winter around here. We have been getting into the teens for our lows with a wind chill in single digits, but they are telling us to hold on it will get warmer :)

Hope your week is off to a good start, thanks so much for stopping by,

Connie

Stitched Blooms

When I saw the challenge over at Sisterhood of Crafters Blog using stitched dies, I decided to use my stitched blooms for my friends card. She also leads our Ladies Bible study and so I wanted to make an extra special card. I tried my hand at making buds using the smallest die in the set.

I started out by spraying the background with Color wash spray. Then cut a frame using two dies. Cut the lattice and layered that behind the frame. She likes red so I went with that for the flowers. For the leaves on the buds I used a flower punch, and added the sprigs, little gems for the flower centers.

 I do enjoy when I am hand delivering a card and I don't have to worry about how thick and how much dimension I have on it.

Poppystamps- Stitched Bloom Trio and Leafy Sprig dies
Spellbinders - A2 matting basics A for frame and Fancy Lattice dies
Adirondack - Color Wash in Lettuce for background
Momenta - card stock for flowers
Me & my big ideas - gems
Ek Success - flower punch under the buds
Whimsy stamps - Simple sentiments stamp set

I hope you are all enjoying a fantastic weekend,
Thanks so much for taking out the time to stop by,

Connie

Jump Rope fun

This one is going to my little red head great niece. I added her cat with her on this card :)

I wanted to ground her a little more than the little piece of grass that is on the stamp so I added some washi tape.  The sentiment is a sticker I added to card stock.

Stampendous - Jump Rope Kiddo stamp colored w/markers
Paper Studio - washi tape
Impression Obsession - Cat set die
K & co.- Card Quotables- Birthday & celebrate vellum stickers
Pizzazz Aplenty - 3mm pink pearls

My house is all decorated, YAH!  Love the glow of the lights at night, well all day really but stands out more on gloomy rainy days like we are having today.

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Connie

Flower Bouquet

It is so hard for me to shake those Autumn colors :)  This was given for a November birthday so it is ok, although it was after Thanksgiving .

I colored the stamp with markers and added a couple die cut charms for the sentiment and heart :) A bit of sparkle added with clear sparkle pen. Shading around image done with ink while image still inside die. Colored the brad marker.

Inkadinkado - Floral Inspiration stamp, colored w/markers
Spellbinder - Floral Ovals die
Distress ink - old paper
Sassafrass - mix and mend paper
Our Daily Bread design - mini tag dies and mini tag sentiment stamp
Brad colored w/marker
Spectrum noir sparkle pen

Hope you are having a great day, thanks for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Dino-mite

I made this card for my great nephew who turned 5.  I saw pictures of his birthday and he had a dinosaur cake, so I actually did a right theme for his birthday this year :)

This is a stamp set from an Australian card magazine, the papers were also in the magazine.  I used my dies to make hills, colored all the stamps with markers and hand cut them out.

Australian Simply cards - Nit wit collection stamps and paper, colored w/markers
Poppystamps - Stitched Landscapes die

We actually had a good day Saturday so we now have the outside of our home all decorated, now it is time to tackle the inside :) 

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

Connie

Beautiful day

I really like the look you can get with layering stamps but even with my Misti stamp tool, I still have times when it is hard to line things up just right. This is another stamp set from my card making Magazine.

I first started by doing my background adding clouds with my home made cloud stencil and sponging on my ink. Then I adding a bit of grass with a new stamp I found at my stamp store. I immediately sponged over the stamped grass and it seemed to smear it just enough to give it a nice softness. Next I stamped my bike in brown then my tires in black inks.  I added the basket then masked that off so I could add some flowers to the basket. I added the color to the basket and flowers with markers.

Cardmaking and Papercraft Issue 183 - Bike, basket, flowers and sentiment stamps
Home made cloud stencil for sky
D.R.S. designs - Easy Grass stamp, with sponged ink over top

I hope you enjoy a wonderful and creative weekend,
Thanks for stopping by,

Connie