Autumn Bird

 I just had to use another of my bird dies, this time for a masculine card. I added a debossed piece of cardstock, inking over it, some strips of papers and some leaves from a garland I found at the dollar store last year and forgot to use.

• Tim Holtz - Feathered Friends die and Clipping Sticker book for sentiment
• Sizzix embossing folder
• 49 and Market - In the leaves scraps and another unknown strip
• Dollar Tree - leaf garland

I would like to share my card today with the following challenges:

Let's Squash it Challenge - Cuz 2 out of 3 ain't bad

Can you handle the pressure - Anything goes with a twist of leaves

Double D Challenge Things that fall, check out their inspiration piece, I went with the top left corner of the falling leaves

Thanks so much for stopping by and still praying for all those impacted by the hurricane in Florida and now going up the coast.

Connie

Make a wish

 I am sharing today more cards from my Splitcoast Dirty Dozen posts.  These are from March of this year.

The first two were my favorites.

This last one was one of the favorites others really liked. I think it is because I used a bubble background technique. You can find it HERE 

Well that is it for me today. Praying for all those in Florida going through the storm.

Connie

Pink Christmas

We were away on a trip to Colorado for 7 days, I have been home for a couple days so I think I have caught up with the blogs but still finding some that I had missed.

Today I am sharing some pink Christmas cards that I finished for a challenge in my stamp group. They are all from a cardmaking magazine that had a card kit with stamps die cuts and papers.

•  Make Special cards 2016 issue 5- stamps, papers and die cuts, wreath stamp colored w/markers
• Stickles - Scattered straw for flower centers
• Nuvo drops - Carnation scattered all over background

This next one I stamped the flowers in the corners. I like these kits with stamps also because if you are in a hurry you can just use the die cuts but if you want to add a little extra you can add some of the stamped elements.

• Make Special cards 2016 issue 5- stamps, papers and die cuts, flower stamps colored w/markers
• Specturm Sparkle pen, clear on some of the flowers

There you have it, I made my 5 cards for this month, I need to make out my list and see how many I am going to need this year and see how close I am getting.

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

Connie

Healing wishes

 One of the ladies in our card making group is going through Chemo right now, I used one of the images I had already colored from my coloring calendar, layered it onto a die cut. Added some corner and acrylic  letter stickers.

• Color for Calm - coloring calendar image, colored w/pencils
• My Favorite Things - Cross-stitch Rectangle die
• Corner stickers, unknown
• Karen Foster designs - Blue Alpha Winks for sentiment

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

Connie

Helleborus

 Ok so I decided not to go with Autumn colors for this birthday card and went with the coloring example on the package and wow did it come out looking like bright spring, LOL!  Hubby saw it and just said wow. I used water coloring.

• Gemini - Create a card, Helleborus die, water color with Zig markers
• Tim Holtz - Metallic Sticker book sentiment

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today, Have a great weekend!

Connie

Masculine Autumn

 I was thinking I was going to want to use the 49 and market goodies for ladies cards but I am finding I am loving them for masculine cards too. I love when these sets work for both guys and gals.  This little guy was just too cute and I had to pair something else with him so I broke out  a leaf I had cut from some smooshed ink papers I had made and a mushroom from the same set as the chipmunk. Inked around a torn piece of paper to base them all on. The stamp is a rub on and the corner is a punch.

• 49 and Market - Curators Meadow 6x8 paper and rub ons
• Tim Holtz - Leaf fragment cut from smooshed ink background and Small talk sentiment
• Fiskar - corner punch

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

Connie

Birthday Balloons

 For my great nephews birthday.  I added a touch of Glossy accents to the balloons.

• stampendous - Balloon Kiddo stamp, colored w/markers
• Glossy Accents on Balloons
• Crate Paper - Party day papers
• Honbay - birthday sentiments

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

Connie

50th

 Friend and her hubby have celebrated their 50th Anniversary.  I went with some wallpaper background papers and flower.

• Tim Holtz - Worn Wallpaper Scraps paper and flowers
• Martha Stewart - Embroidery punch
• Spellbinders - Circle Delight die
• Taylored Expressions - Whimsy#s die

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today and hope you enjoy a great weekend!

Connie

Joy

 The challenge for Christmas in my card making group is to have Joy on your card.

This first one is a sticker. The joy is gold foil and I like how they added detail too it, I tried to mimic that in the corners.

• Recollections - Joy sticker
• Paper Studio - Cozy Christmas paper
• Tim Holtz - Funky Festive dies
• Sequins

This next one I used a Tissue box image, I found some papers that went well with the colors on the box and added a joy die cut.

• Tissue box image
• Graphic 45 - Christmas past papers
• Taylored Expressions - Joy die

This last one is Joyful but I am using it because it has Joy in it :)

• 49 and Market - Vintage Artistry Peace & Joy 12x12 paper pack & die cuts
• Mark Richards - Nailhead gems

I have 3 cards done for this month, at least two more to go, my other group has a pink challenge so they will be done in Pink :)

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

Connie

No Words

 I am saddened to say that a dear cardmaking friend has lost her son.  Our kids ages were just a few months apart.  You don't expect your kids to go before you do, especially at a young age, so it is hard to put your head around it all.  Praying God give her strength in the days and months ahead.

• Tim Holtz - Wildflowers Stems #2 dies
• Stampendous - Sincere sentiments stamp
• Jute

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Connie

Fall

 My Favorite season!! I started off by making a background with my color burst to cut out the border die and the leaves, I ended  up doing the butterflies with it too :)  I hope all the people that have fall birthdays don't get sick of all the Autumn cards I made for their birthdays, I do try to change it up every now and then :)

I am sharing my card with Memory Box Challenge which is Fall. They also asked for you to use some element of water so I used Mixed media paper and Color bursts and water to mix it up  and that is what I used to cut out my dies.

• Memory Box - Autumn Border, Marvelous Maple Leaves and Leavenworth Butterfly trio dies, cut from paper colored with Color Bursts, marigold and Naples Yello
• 49 and Market - Vintage Artistry In the leaves 6x8 papers
• Whimsy stamps - Simple sentiments

I would also like to share with Four Seasons Challenge which is Fall.

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

Connie

Enjoy Life

 I didn't realize this was my nephews 40th birthday but I am hoping he enjoyed this card anyway.

I had just received this die set in the mail.  I have started back in July making Junk Journals and so I thought this set would be good to use with them.  When I sat down to make my nephews card I thought the folder might make a nice card base.  It measures 4 1/2 inches x 3 1/4 inches. I used other dies from the set for the embellishments along with some 49 and market papers, rub ons and ephemera.

• Tim Holtz - Specimen Dies
• 49 and Market - Vintage Artistry, Essentials 6x8 paper collection, Curators Meadow Laser cut elements and Wedgewood Rub ons
• Ranger - enamel accents Black

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

Connie

Goodbye

 I am so saddened to do this post, it has taken me awhile to get around to it.  A great woman in the cardmaking industry has passed away.  Her dear husband has kept many of us up to date on her health as she worsened and then came the news that she is now with our Lord and Savior away from all pain she has endured over the past few years.  Cheryl was always kind, uplifting and sweet as can be.  She shared her love of God so well on her blog with all her visitors too.  Even going through all her health problems over the years she would always tell me Connie the Lord is good, I lean on him everyday and he gets me through.  An amazing example for me and all of us who knew her.

Just before she passed I had seen this technique I came across on Pinterest and never tried before and when trying to figure out what I should do for her husbands sympathy card, I thought this might be nice.

You can find the Faux wood burning technique video HERE .

• Hero Arts - Leaf cluster stamp with Canson Watercolor paper
• The Greetery - Sentiment Suite - Thinking of you stamp
• Distress Ink - Ground Espresso

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

Connie

Bird Tag

 When I saw this challenge to use a tag on your card over at Retro Rubber Challenge Blog I knew just the tag I wanted to use.  I had recently been looking at my old papers and I have been hoarding these, I have used quite a bit but now it was time to break them out again.

The stamp is from 2002 and the paper is from 2005, so both good oldies :)

I first thought to use a vine for my trellis off to the side but felt it still needed something so I added a branch with some flowers to mimic what was in the stamp.  I stamped directly onto the pattern tag and colored with markers.

• Stampin up - Seasonal birds stamp set, 2002
• BasicGrey - Sweet Pea Alyssa Paper and tag - Brad
• Martha Stewart - Garden Trellis punch
• Poppy stamps - Climbing Vine die
• Memory Box - Woodland Branch and Seraphine Laurel die
• Hero Arts - It's your day sentiment stamp

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today and hope you have a great week!

Connie

Don't forget to fly

 Sometimes we just need that little reminder don't we.  I just had to get this bird from Spellbinders, isn't it a cutie and so many ways to use her :)  This time she is taking a rest on the wreath.

• Spellbinder - Sweet birdie, Be Bold Blooms and Wreath dies
• BasicGrey - Periphery papers
• Tim Holtz - Crochet die and Small talk sentiment sticker
• Pearls

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today and hope you are enjoying your weekend, we have had a few times when the rain has stopped so that has been nice, not a total wash out.

Connie

Autumn Birthday

 Over at Can you handle the pressure Blog the challenge is embossing with a twist of adding a Sentiment as your focal.  This stamp and die set makes a great focal for a sentiment. Of course I also had to add a flower ;)  I cut the sentiment and flower out of the same piece of background I had made using Oxide inks.

The embossing folder was given to me by April, I used Tim Holtz paper and sanded it a bit, I need to get a better sanding piece, mine doesn't seem to work as well.

I am also sharing with Simon Says Challenge anything goes.

• Parklane - Embossing folder (JoAnn)
• Distress Oxide background to cut out the flower and sentiments
• Jillibean Soup - Enjoy stamp and die set JB1287
• Spellbinders - Be Bold Blooms dies

I hope you all enjoy your holiday weekend. We have a rain chance almost everyday but seems to be in the evenings so not a wash out.

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

Connie