Wreaths

 I went with Wreath theme for my last 3 cards, I made it by the end of the Month, YAH!!!

The first was fairly easy because I let the paper do the work for the wreath, I was going through this paper pack for a birthday card and came upon this page and thought I could make a pink theme Christmas card using this wreath, just by adding my own die cuts to it.  Love how we can get inspiration just looking through our goodies :)

I centered the wreath on my card 5 x 6 1/2.  Added my die cuts, a stamped greeting and some pearl drops.

• 49 and Market - Artoptions Avesta 6x8 paper
• Tim Holtz - Funky Festive dies (flower, bow and holly)
• Diamond Press - Happy holidays stamp set
• Nuvo drops

My next card I went with coloring the stamp with colored pencils, I first stamped the solid stamp in Desert Sand Memento ink, then let it dry and colored over the image with my pencils. I fussy cut the wreath out and popped it up and added it to a wood background.

• Inkadinkado - Folk Wreath stamp, colored with pencils
• Echo Park - Christmas collection (paper and sentiment)
• Spectrum clear Sparkle pen - for berries

The last one I went with blues on a yellow background, another not so traditional color combo :)  I realized while posting the pictures that I forgot a sentiment. I already had the flowers and bird made up so I have no idea what I used to make them.

• Spellbinder - Wreath die
• Simon Says - Layered Chickadee die
• Tim Holtz - Funky Floral #3 dies (flowers)
• Poppystamps - Valley Snowflake dies
• Gems

There we go, all caught up for May's cards.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Memorial Day

 I am sadden to say that I am sharing once again another sympathy card.  He passed away a couple weeks ago but I waited to share this card because although he didn't die in the line of duty he did retire from the Air Force as a Colonel and he was much admired by so many people that he touched during his lifetime, and our church was lucky enough to have him as part of our congregation.  He not only did so much for our church but all the members of the church, he was the kind of guy that if he saw you needed something he would do his best to help you. He died suddenly after a bike ride, had a heart attack, the day before his daughter graduated from College and his son is getting married next weekend. This family has gone through so much.  He will be sorely missed but was such a great example to how we are to live our life.

• K&co. - Blue Awning paper (inking around the edges)
• Tim Holtz - Wildflowers#2 dies
• Taylored Expressions - Care & comfort sentiment stamp
• Jute twine

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

Connie

Birthday Girl

 When looking through my goodies the other day for something else I came across these metal sunflowers I had bought many years, maybe even ten years ago, I still have one left believe it or not and I left it out on my desk to use on the next birthday card I needed.  This time around I colored the sunflower with my alcohol markers and it worked great, you can see the coloring better in the close up picture.

The sunflower came on that silver metal like background, but I wanted a little more framing so I got out one of my square dies and just put it on point, thought it fit perfectly, added all that to a banner die and then topped it off with my rub on sentiment and dew drops.

• Metal sunflower embellishments, colored with alcohol markers
• Spellbinders - Majestic Labels one die and banner die
• Basic Grey - Wholy cow rub-ons (sentiment)
• Dew drops

Hope you are enjoying a lovely weekend, we are having gorgeous temperatures, usually we are already too HOT but it is just perfect this year, so enjoying it very much,

Connie

Poinsettia's

 I bought this last year on sale and our challenge in both my groups this month is foliage flowers or wreaths so I had to break out my flowers.  I ended up with only two cards I think these took me a few days to get done.

It is hard to see the layering of the flower dies until you see the close ups, and I even went over the first ones with more ink.

• Tim Holtz - Festive Bouquet dies
• Spellbinders - Floral ovals and classic oval dies
• Cuttlebug - Swiss dots embossing folder
• Graphic 45 - Christmas emporium paper
• Hobby Lobby - Christmas sticker book for sentiment
• Stickles - X-mas red (on berries)

On my second card I decided to use some of this new washi tape I got for the flowers, I added the washi to some light cardstock before cutting and it cut quite well even though the washi is fabric.  It was a little harder to see where I was suppose to add the layering bits to the base of the flowers but with looking at the picture it was doable.

• Tim Holtz - Festive Bouquet dies
• 49 and Market - Artoptions Rouge Fabric washi tape (to cut flowers)
• Cuttlebug - D'vine Swirl Embossing folder
• Graphic 45 - Christmas Emporium paper and faux postage stamp
• Stickles - xmas red (on berries)

I would like to add my cards to the following challenge

Peace on Earth Christmas challenge

Two down and 3 to go to make my quota for this month, wish me luck :)

Thanks for stopping by today and saying Hi,

Connie

Deepest Sympathy

 There has been way too many needs for sympathy cards, a fellow cardmaker lost her brother suddenly. I went with these rub-ons that have the look of soft water coloring to me.  I added a stamped sentiment onto a die cut to give the card a touch of dimension.

• 49 and Market - 6x8 Artoptions Avesta paper, Avesta Rub-ons (flowers and butterfly)
• Spellbinders - Grommet tags die
• Hero Arts - Everyday sayings sentiment stamp
• Brads
• Inking around edges

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

Connie

Journal

 I haven't shared any of my journal pages, I started doing Junk Journaling last year and have really enjoyed it, I am on my 4 book right now. I decided to share because I used one of the verses from Word Art Wednesday weeks 595-596. I cut it out with a die and inked around the die before taking my paper out. I left the paper that I used on the left but on the right I used a bunch of scraps I had left over from cardmaking.  I also added stickers and a tab die over to the right side.

• Spellbinders - Wavy Rectangles die
• Word Art Wednesday - Digital Verse
• Amazon - Stickers
• 49 and Market - Curators Meadow postage stamp washi
• Elizabeth Craft desgins - Planner filmstrip die set (tab on the right)

I would also like to share today journal page with Simon Says Monday challenge Art Journal.

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

Connie

Peony Panels

 This is the last of my Auto Ship from HSN on the Gemini create a card dies that I ordered.  I also added a sentiment and flowers from the Crafters companion Advent calendar to go with the panels, I used ink and a dauber to color these with, some done while the paper was in the die and the rest after removing.

• Gemini - Peony Create-a-card die
• Crafters companion advent calendar - Sentiment stamp and flower die cuts
• Spellbinders - A2 Matting basics A die
• 49 and Market - Coral Mini collection 6x6 paper pack

I will be sharing my card today with Color Throwdown challenge #743 pink, lime and white

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

Connie

Birthday Flowers

 I am more and more surprised at how nice the stickers are at the Dollar Store, I used these dimensional ones I found there for my card today.  I was so bummed to find out the store I liked the most because it had a nice craft section has closed down. We were told they were going to combine the dollar store with Family Dollar but it has sat empty for quite a few months now.

• Crafters Square - Pop-up stickers (flowers and sentiment banner)
• Crafter's companion - Beautiful Borders die
• Martha Stewart - Butterfly punch with added pearl
• Sequins

I am sharing my card today with the following challenges:

 Four Seasons Challenge Spring

Sisterhood of Crafters Flowers challenge

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

Connie

Sending Love

 One of the ladies in my cardmaking group lost her dad, I remembered all those goodies I received from my friend there was a flower with Sympathy sentiments in it, so that is what I used for her card. I inked the stamp with a few different inks and then stamped. I popped up the middle section of the frame with foam tape.

• Stampin' up - Love & Sympathy stamp set
• Hot off the Press - 4 Lacy Rectangle Frames die

I hope all that are Mother's or are Mother figures to others enjoy a lovely Mother's day!!

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

Connie

Hydrangea

 I haven't used this flower stamp in a long time so when the Retro Rubber Challenge had a tic tac toe challenge I just had to play along.  I went with Diagonal which is Birthday - Flowers - Your Choice which I picked die cut frame.  My stamp is from 2002.

I added some liquid pearls to the center of my flowers.

• Rubber Stampede - Hydrangea stamp, colored w/markers
• Liquid Pearls - Mint green (center of flowers)
• Spellbinders - A2 Devine Eloquence  die
• DCWV - Rustic Stack paper
• Martha Stewart - tag punch
• Stamps of Life - minis4circles sentiment stamp
• Bazzill - Brad

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, we have rain in the forecast but I hope it holds off long enough for the Air show at the base to go on, the Blue Angels have made it here yesterday and we got a little preview yesterday, we live close enough to the base that we get to sit out on the deck and enjoy the fly over as they practice.

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

Connie

Slimline sympathy

 Our friend from our life group at church lost his Mom, she lived a long life and had dementia, she ended up falling and passing away.  I wanted to go for a vintage look to the card and once again used the paper pack and one of the images that come in the pack to make this slimline card, I thought it fit perfectly. The sentiment and pearls fit nicely in the empty space.

• DCWV - The Primrose,  Paper and image
• Taylored Expressions - Care & Comfort II sentiment stamp
• Kaisercraft - Pearls

You can see a touch of glitter that was already on this panel in the close up below.

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

Connie

Squeal

 When I was going through these images from the cardmaking magazine, a smile came to my face and so I thought it might work for my great nephews birthday card. I cut the image and a mat from stitched dies. added a border punch to go between the two papers I used for the background.

• Make Special cards - Papers, images and sentiment tag
• PPD - Mini Stitched Square dies
• Martha Stewart - Border punch
• Brads

Hope it brought a smile to your face too and that you have a great week ahead!

Thanks for stopping by,

Connie

In our prayers

 My hubby's coworker passed away from cancer, he was our age.  I had never met his wife in person, when the guys would call and talk on the phone during the pandemic when they were working from home, all 4 of us would talk, so I felt like I knew her.

I went with using this paper pack that had this pretty bird image I could use to put on the front for the focal image. I inked around all the edges, stamped a sentiment at the bottom and added a couple pearls.

• DCWV - The Primrose paper pack for papers and bird image, inking around all edges
• Stampendous - Sincere Sentiments stamp set
• Martha Stewart - pearls

Hope you all enjoy a lovely weekend.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Embellishments

 I forgot to share one of the cards I made at our challenge week with my stamp group.  The challenge was to use at least 3 3mbellishments on your card.  I picked die cut sticker, washi tape and lace.  I had just made up these birds before hand so I wanted to use one of them so that is where the card started. I thought the colors in the Washi tape (bottom piece) would go good with the coloring on my bird, I just love birds in wreaths so this die cut sticker worked perfectly, I put foam tape on it to give some dimension. and added this pretty lace I was given.

• Simon Says stamps - Layered Warbler die
• Paper Studio - Die cut sticker (wreath)
• 49 and Market - Avesta Fabric washi tape
• Lace
• Tim Holtz - Thoughts Label sticker sentiment

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

Connie

Sending Hugs

 My friend recently loss her cat, I remembered I had a cardmaking magazine with stamps and embossing folder I hadn't used yet, and thought it would be nice for her card. Colored the cat with markers and fussy cut him out, embossed the paw prints and then added a little marker to just the paw prints to make them a little darker then the kraft cardstock.

• Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine - Perfect pals stamp, colored w/markers and embossing folder paw prints colored the paws
• ODBD - Vintage Ephemera collection papers
• Simon says stamps - You got this sentiment stamp

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

Connie