Blooming thanks

 I am not sure what kind of flowers these are supposed to be but when I saw these in this vase it reminded me of bringing in those spring blooms to enjoy indoors.

Once again from my coloring calendar images and hand written sentiment. I colored this one with my colored pencils.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by, the next card I will be sharing, hubby helped me with what I will be using, one of his creations :)

Connie

Stockings Sweater

 In my stamp group this month our challenge was to use stockings on our cards.  Before my surgery that is what I was working on, but it is much to detailed so when I was looking through my coloring calendar images I found this sweater with stockings and I thought well this month I guess I will at least get one card made.

I colored it with markers and since this isn't going out in the mail right away, I will wait until I get to my stamps and will add a sentiment and maybe some other embellishments to the background :)

I hope you had a great weekend and the week ahead is a good one, we don't have any rain in the forecast for a few days so we will have some sunshine ahead!

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

Connie

So Tweet

 Using another coloring calendar image, colored w/markers.

The purple in the background of this one and the last one I posted were on the actual image already, in the past I have used a knife blade to cut the center out where the scissors can't get into but haven't done that on these. More hand written sentiment, can't wait until I can get to my stamps and all my other goodies.

Thanks for stopping by and hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Connie

Sending Thanks

 Once again using my coloring calendar image for this card, I had to write in the sentiment again, so I put a little faux stitching to give it a little something extra, going back to the basics! This too was colored with markers.

Doctor says everything is looking great, my toes are still all messed up looking and I still have quite a bit of bruising but the stitches are now out, I am allowed to get it wet, no more plastic bags when taking a shower!!! I can start walking on more of my foot, not just my heal but no weight on my toes yet, I will be going back in 3 weeks and getting x-rays to see how the healing is going. I am hopeful in another week I can be in my craft room for short periods :)

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, and as always for taking the time to stop by and brighten my day :)

Hugs,

Connie

Thanks

 Last post was the card I had finished before my surgery, I was hoping by now that I would be able to be in my craft room but can't go with my foot down for too long, so hubby brought out my coloring calendar images , some markers and colored pencils so that I could make up some thank you card that I wanted to do for friends. The first was the closest friend I met while we were stationed in England, her daughter cross-stitched a cute little hoop hanging for me.

I colored this one with markers, hand cut them out, and also hand cut the little tag and since I don't have stamps I hand wrote the sentiment.  Colored a dot with marker and then put some Nuvo glaze over it, that was something that hubby brought out to me thinking it was my glue bottle :) But it looks like there is a brad there. The paper was from my scraps pile, too hard to ask him to pick out paper for me.  He also took the picture for me to post on my blog.

I will have to say a big thanks he has been taking care of everything for me and working at the same time, and hasn't complained one bit, so thankful for him.

I do feel like I am seeing some improvement, seeing the doctor tomorrow so will see what he has to say.

Thanks so much for stopping by,

Connie

Good day

 I broke out my coloring calendar images again for this card.  Adding a few grass die cuts.

• Coloring for calm 2017 calendar image, colored w/markers
• Ms. Sparkle & co. - Wood grain paper
• Impression Obsession - Small and large grass dies
• Tim Holtz - small talk sentiment

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

Hope you have a great weekend, no rain all sun for us, YAH!!!

Connie

Feathered Friends

 A little while ago I shared the shorter bird in this die set, today I am sharing the taller one.  My friend loves polka dots so that is why I went with that for the bird body.  I also used some other dies from his other set to decorate the wreath.

• Sizzix- Tim Holtz - Funky Foliage and Feathered Friends dies
• Spellbinders - Wreath die
• Black enamel accents for eye

It was fun putting all these layered dies together, I used only those papers that are in my scrap basket, so it also felt good to use some of those up.  I think I have as much fun putting these dies together as I do making the card.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by, 

Connie

Tulips

 Looking forward to the spring flowers popping up soon, how about you!!  As we wait why not use them for our spring birthdays :)

These are from a set of stickers I bought quite some time ago, added them to some patterned paper and a little punched grass to them.  I had to draw in the lady bug legs.

• K&co. - Tim Coffey embossed stickers
• DCWV - Old world stack paper
• Spellbinders - Candlewick Rectangles die
• PPD - Stitched Postage stamp die
• Fiskars - Grass punch
• Lawn Fawn - Big Scripty words stamp and dies
• Pearls

Hope your week is off to a great start,

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

Connie

Spring Wreath

 I haven't used my Gina K wreath builder stencil for making wreaths in a long time so I just had to get it out and play with it. I used stamps from a few different companies.

• Gina K - Wreath builder template 3 3/4 inches
• Gemini - leaves stamp
• Inkadinkado - Greetings stamp set for flowers and sentiment
• Teresa Collins - He said she said paper
• Lawn Fawn- Fancy scalloped  Rectangle die
• Memory Box - Stitched Circle layers
• Kasiercraft - pearls

Update:  Doctor said that my foot looks good, no sign of infection and very low swelling.  The incision was a bit bigger than I thought it would be, I have to take it very easy for the next two weeks until I go back to the doctor and see how it has healed.  I have a few more cards I had made up before my surgery, thank goodness, because I have to keep my foot up above my heart as much as possible.  

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

Connie

Masculine Spring

 I have made a couple cards from this card kit and thought this bunny would be good for a spring birthday. There is a bit of extra pieces that you can add on to give it dimension.  The only thing I added that wasn't in the kit is the burlap and buttons.

• Papercraft Essentials Issue 190 - Highland Collection
• Old Buttons
• DCWV - Burlap

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Update:  I wanted to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers for me, my doctor has hopes that the surgery went well.  I will find out more on Friday when I have an appointment.

Sweet Day

 I have had this image from my coloring calendar done for quite some time and have had it clipped up on my desk, and when I was trying to figure out what to do for the next birthday card I needed, I looked up and there it was and I thought it was about time I used it :)

I started by embossing the honeycomb embossing folder.  Do you lightly mist your paper before embossing?  I have been doing that all the time now and I think it does make a difference.  I gave the cardstock time to dry and then lightly rubbed my gray ink pad over the raised areas.

I felt it needed a little something extra and going through my dies I settled on this corner die I had that kind of reminded me of lattice. To balance the corner off I went with using my hexagon dies for the sentiment.  The word birthday didn't fit but I wanted sweet on there, so I first stamped the sentiment sweet and then masked off the birth part of the sentiment so that it would just read day!

• Coloring for calm - 2017 calendar image, colored w/markers
• Paper Studio - Honeycomb embossing folder, inked with gray
• Impression Obsession - Classic corners die
• Diamond press - Stitched hexagon die
• Stamps of Life - minis4circles

I am having bunion surgery tomorrow and a little cutting of the tendons in my toes to hopefully elevate my hammer toes, I would appreciate your prayers that all goes smoothly.

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

Connie

Field Notes

 I recently bought a few packages of Ephemera when they were on sale at JoAnns, I was pretty excited to try and use some of them on a card.  Today I went with a masculine card I needed.  I didn't realize until I was getting ready to post that I never put a sentiment on this card but it is a Birthday card.

I used washi tape on the upper right corner and hand stitching on the left side of the tag.  I liked this mushroom and thought the bug matched the coloring well.

• Tim Holtz - Field Notes Ephemera 94051, Collector Layers 93553 and Rose collection washi tape
• Basic Grey - Oxford paper
• Hand stitching and inking on the tag

I was pretty happy with the way this turned out, I hope he likes it too.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today, Have a wonderful week ahead!

Connie

Neutrals

 I am using a stamp from 2009 today, every once and awhile you have to give those older stamps some play time. 

I colored it with markers using browns, blues and greys.  It felt weird to do the clouds in browns but after I have looked at it for awhile I like the touch it gives.

• Our Daily Bread Designs - Quiet Waters stamp 2009
• Hero Arts - Wood Frame Infinity die
• Whimsy stamps - Simple sentiments stamp

Retro Rubber Challenge #153

I used the left side going down

We are too have sunshine the whole weekend, that makes this girl very happy :)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Celebration

 My Great niece is turning 13 soon and when I saw the challenge over at the Time out challenge blog I decided to make a card for her celebrating the start of her teen years!

I saw the card HERE on Pinterest a few years ago and finally gave it a try :)

I found the paper I used for the cone in my scraps pile, just perfect I thought, I used a triangle die to cut it out, then I used a cloud punch for the ice cream.  I had a few of these little pieces left over from other projects that I used for the sprinkles on top of the ice cream.  I wish I would have thought to stamp the confetti on the background piece before gluing the ice cream cone down but I just felt it was too bare.

• X-cut - Bunting nesting die for the cone
• Fiskars - Cloud punch, ice cream
• Spellbinders - Labels 29 and lacey circles die
• Echo Park - Fine and dandy background paper
• Gemini - Torn edge circle die
• Hero Arts - It's your day sentiment stamp
• Spellbinders - Special Birthday stamp set, Confetti

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

Connie

Birthday Bouquet

 I bought this stamp, die and stencil set awhile ago but finally brought it out to give it a try.  I did not use the stencil portion for coloring, instead I colored it with my markers.  The set comes with the extra leaves that I stamped and cut out and added to the background of the bouquet on either side. The butterfly is also from the set.

• Make Art - A million thanks stamp and die set, colored w/markers
• Spellbinders - Quilt it Embossing folder
• Gina Marie Stamps - Birthday words sentiment stamp

Hope you are all having a good week so far, we are enjoying warmer temperatures so it has been feeling very spring like around here :)

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

Connie

Stenciling

 I totally forgot to share the other card we made in our Zoom class with you, I was getting it ready to mail it out and realized I needed to share.  We did a few with this technique but so far this is the only one I made into a card so far.

We embossed our stamped flowers with black embossing powder ahead of time and then together we used our stencils to fill in the background of the flower, I used a few different yellows and oranges but they were so close that it is hard to see, I think this is a fun technique.  The more open your stamp the better and the smaller your stencil pattern is the best.

Sorry I don't have the maker of the flower stamp, if you know please let me know, I was thinking it might be stampendous but couldn't see it on their website, maybe it is retired.

• Flower stamped w/black embossing powder
• Carabelle Studio - Cosmics cubes stencil
• Teresa Collins - Tell your story paper
• Martha Stewart - Garden Trellis punch
• Making memories - Rub on doodles
• Spellbinders - Happy Birthday die

It felt good to get out those rub ons I have had for years and to be able to use them too!

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,  Hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

Connie