Live every day

 Before slimline cards became all the rage there were so many things I had in my stash that I just never used because they didn't work on my cards, now I am trying to go through them every now and then and make cards with them, using the slimline design. This lady is one of them, I punched some butterflies out of the pattern paper in the pack to go with her.

• Graphic 45 - Steampunk Debutante paper pack
• Momenta - Slimline dies
• Martha Stewart - Butterfly punch
• Mark Richards - clear gems
• Tim Holtz - sentiment sticker

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

Connie

Be You

 I bought this ephemera pack, it was on sale and I thought that it would be nice to have for my junk journaling but while looking at some of them I thought they would also be great for birthday cards so I used them on this one for my great niece.  I added a black die cut underneath to mat it and a dimensional flower from the $ store, some fabric tape and some sequins.

• Carta Bella - Ephemera pack (Sentiment and bee)
• Spellbinders - Labels 20 die
• Crafters Square - Metallic flower sticker
• Sunny Studio - Gingham pastels paper
• 49 and Market - Artoptions Fabric tape
• Sequins

I know a few people that live down in Florida and I am praying they are all making it through this Hurricane ok.

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

Connie

Bells

 I tried to combine the two challenges in each of my groups, one being use a bell and the other watercolor backgrounds.

My first card I used those shimmer powders that you add water too for my first background.  I didn't like the touches of white I had showing through so I kind of went over the whole background with a  paint brush to kind of fill in the spots. I colored the stamp image with markers and then also die cut it with the joy die so it would fit in the center of the die.

• Penny Black - Jolly follies stamp set, colored w/markers and Immense Joy die cut from gold cardstock
• Background - Nuvo Shimmer powder - Green Parade

 

The next one isn't really watercolor but shimmer mist, I haven't used these in years I think and it actually wasn't clogged. The sticker wreath was one my Sister in law gave to me last year and I am finally getting around to using it, can you see the bell?

• K&co. - Holly Berries & Wreath sticker set
• Background sprayed with Tattered Angles Glimmer mist - Gold
• Spellbinders - Labels 18 die
• Gartner Studio - sentiment epoxy sticker
• Offray Ribbon

My last was a very quick and simple one, I used another glimmer background to go with this gold foil sticker, I felt it said it all. I made a little boo boo on the corner when going around the card with a gold paint pen, so I used a corner punch to take most of it off.

• Paper Studio - Christmas bell foiled sticker
• Background Tattered Angles Glimmer Mist Gold
• Gold Metallic pen around the edges 
• Corner punch

I would like to share my card with Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge blog 

Well there is 3, for this month, hubby took me to a scrapbook store over in Missouri this weekend and I bought another paper pad I couldn't resist so I think my other two will be done with that pad :)

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

Connie

Masculine Thinking of you

 I needed a sympathy card for a guy at church so I went with a more masculine feel to the card.  I used an image from my coloring calendar once again.

• Coloring for Calm 2018 calendar image, colored w/markers
• ODBD - Vintage Ephemera collection papers
• Doodlebug designs - Sentiment stamp
• Impression Obsessions - Rectangle 6in1 frames die

We are finally headed for a cool down, it will be nice to be able to go outside and actually breathe again.  Wishing you all a great weekend.

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

Connie

Shadow box card

 I think this is the quickest I have posted a card I made with our group in zoom. Lately I have had cards I had made for challenges that needed to be posted before.  We had our time together on Monday, it was a pretty quick card to put together and April added a fun technique with this card fold.  W

We took our cube inks that are around 1 1/4 inches I am guessing and slightly applied them to a sheet of paper going on a diagonal, I think I used 3 inks on this one, pinks and greens from Gina K.  You use one ink at a diagonal and then add the 2nd color the other diagonal and the go over very lightly with the 3rd color which was my green.  I cut out flowers with mine and for the centers I just punched some circles out and added extra ink to them.

• 49 and Market - Vintage Artistry colors Natural paper
• Memory Box - Stitched Circle layers die 
• Spellbinders - Textured Flowers die
• Gina Marie - Birthday words sentiment stamp
• Sequins

We put the sentiment on back, I will write more when I send it out.

It would be too hard for me to explain how this goes together so hopefully you can google Shadow box card and find a video on it.  The tab on either side gets glued together and when flattened it fits into an A2 envelope.  We cut the cardstock at 11x4.25 and scored at 1/2", 1", 4 1/2", 5", 5 1/2", 6", 6 1/2", 10", 10 1/2 ".  

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

Connie

Birds

 I broke out my Bird watcher paper once again, love the colors they use in this paper  and ephemera packs.

• Graphic 45 - Bird Watcher 8x8 paper pack and Ephemera Assortment (free bird tag)

I think the flower border helped with all the stripes going on there.

I would like to share my card with Triple B Challenge 

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by.

Connie

Blooms

 I love the look of white and kraft and when I saw this paper I thought I should go with some all white with it and see if I like it as much as with just plain kraft cardstock, and I did :)  I used a corner die but used it for across the top of my card.  I had to add another flower to the base to balance it out of course :)

• Poppystamps - Clara Corner and Eyelet stitches dies
• Memory Box - Fabulous phlox die
• Spellbinders - Sentiments one die
• Graphic45 Botanical tea paper

You can see the embossed detail in the dies better in the close up I think.

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

Beautiful blossoms Challenge anything goes with a mood board

Word Art Wednesday anything goes

We have a week with 100 degree temps, so I think outside chores will be left alone this week.

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

Connie

Zoom card

 I waited to long once again to post the card we did in our zoom challenge, thank goodness we can save youtube videos of techniques or I would forget how we did them.

I believe what we did for the background of our stamped image is we took our ink pads and using just the edge swiped color across the front of the card.  The we took normal school glue, and dipped an old gift card into the glue and stamped it onto the background and added our embossing powder and heated it up to leave the embossed strips. I happened to have the gel kind of school glue and it bubbled a bit more than I think the normal white glue would have but didn't want to buy a whole new bottle just for this technique.

I water colored the rose image using Distress Inks and my water brush. I used the same colors for the background swipes and coloring of the rose. I heat embossed the rose with embossing powder before watercoloring.

• Hot off the press - Watercolor Rose stamp, Embossed with Altenew Antique Gold embossing powder and watercolored with distress inks
• Distress inks - Abandoned Coral, Spun sugar and Peeled Paint
• Quickutz - Vines embossing folder
• Cardmaking magic - Birthday verses stamp set

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

Connie

Summer Fun

 I was going for a clean and simple card for my great nephews teen birthday card, using some of my coloring pages for the Simply Clean & Simple Challenge which has an optional outdoor theme. I colored the image with pencils and fussy cut.

I was just going to have it on my background piece but it felt like it needed to be grounded.

• Color for Calm calendar image - colored w/pencils and fussy cut
• Basic Grey - Picadilly paper
• Tim Holtz - Small talk sentiment

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

Connie

Sunflowers

 For the life of me I can not find where I got this image on my computer. I know it was one that someone was giving out free when the war in Ukraine first started and I printed it off and never used it, I did not write on it where it was from and I can not find it on my computer so if anyone knows please let me know so that I can give credit. The image came with some sentiments too.

EDIT: I did find in my download folder the image and the title is HA Sunflower printable, I still don't know where it came from though :(

• Hero Arts Sunflower digi image - colored w/markers and fussy cut
• Gemini - Just for you die
• Scrap of pattern paper 
• Sequins

I would like to share my card in the following challenges.

Triple B challenge 

Flower Challenge - add spots or stripes 

I am a little behind visiting blogs, my daughter is here visiting for a few days, I haven't seen her in a year so when she is awake I will be with her :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Dahlia

 Our last challenge in the group, was to make a Thank you card without using any pattern paper, CAS with a little stamping for background.

• Gemini - Dahlia die
• American crafts - Art Journal stamps
• Stamponit - silver sticker sentiment
• Martha Stewart - pearls

I would like to share my card with the Sisterhood of Crafters blog challenge of keep it simple.

I hope you enjoy a great weekend,

Connie

Walk in the meadow

 Over at Retro Rubber Challenge 212 it is anything goes and it ends tomorrow so you have to hurry if you want to play along.  I used this stamp that I bought in a cardmaking magazine years ago, 2012 to be exact. I thought it would be a good one for my niece's birthday. I colored it with markers.

I am also sharing along with Word Art Wednesday where the challenge is also anything goes.

• Wild Rose Studio - Annabelle's Meadow stamp, 2012, colored w/markers
• Lawn Fawn - Fancy Scalloped Rectangle die
• PPD - Wavy Stitch Rectangle die
• Taylored Expressions - Many Mini's Occasions stamp sentiment
• Martha Stewart - Circle punch

I will be back with one more card I did for the challenge week with my group.

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

Connie

Joyful birds

 In my stamp group our challenge for last month that I never got to doing was birds.  These birds took a lot more time than the ornaments, and I see that I missed some spots coloring now that I see it on my computer screen, eyes just aren't what they use to be. There are three different birds in this die set and branches, hats and garlands, a few things to play with. I colored the little berries from the branch die and added to this playful scene. This first card was colored using inks with blending brushes and foam.

• Sizzix - Robins in Hats die, colored with inks with blending brushes
• Honey Bee - Holiday cheer paper
• Poppystamps - Eyelet stitches die
• Die-Versions - Joyeux Noel die

The second card I colored using markers. I added the long die cut branch to go with the smaller ones in the set to make it bigger for the bird to perch on, they worked ok together.

• Sizzix - Robins in hats dies, colored w/markers
• Memory Box - Woodland Branch die
• Poppystamps - Stitched Landscape die
• Honey bee - Holiday cheer paper

I am adding this to the Peace on Earth Christmas challenge 

That's it I have my cards finished for July, hopefully I will get to August before the month is over :)

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

Connie

Sketch challenge

 The next challenge in our group celebration was to use a sketch.  I am in need of another guy card for my nephew so I went with the 49 and market paper and ephemera, adding a die cut wood piece to frame it.

• 49 and Market - 6x8 Curators Meadow papers and Meadow Laser cut elements
• Hero Arts - Oval Woodgrain Frames die
• Tim Holtz - Small talk sentiment sticker

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

Connie

Ornaments

 As we were starting August I happened to think I didn't make any Christmas cards for July.  I did the Junk Journal July where we do a journal page using their prompts every day for the month, then I had to make my usual birthday cards too and then the last week of July was all doing challenges for our group.  

So here I am making July cards in August so hopefully I will take a little break and do August Christmas cards by the end of the month:)

The challenge in my card making group was to make Ornaments.  I made two of this Nativity scene, knowing they would go pretty quickly. This first one I did a little inking around the edges.

• Die Versions - Starry Nativity ornament die
• Starform - Silver Merry Christmas sentiment sticker

With this one I used some sparkle purple cardstock for the Starry part and used the purple innie from the first ornament inside this one.  I think it is best to use this ornament with solid background as you can see the print of the paper through the ornament.

Die Versions - Starry Nativity ornament die

Graphics 45 - Christmas Emporium paper

This last ornament card I colored with markers except for the ornaments which I used some metallic pens I have and they didn't work out as well as I had hoped as you can see in the close up.

• Frantic Stamper - Ornamental swag die
• Spellbinders - Holly & Poinsettia die
• Graphic 45 - Christmas Emporium paper

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

Connie

Thinking of you

 A gentlemen in our church, had such low sodium that he was put in the ICU for a couple days, then spent a couple in the hospital, he is now home but still weak.  Just wanted to let him know we are thinking of him and praying he will be well soon.

That just so happened to be our next challenge in our group to make a thinking of you card. We went to the bookstore on Saturday and I found this two part die in a card making magazine and hubby talked me into getting it to make my Thinking of you card with it, isn't he a sweetie.  You line up one side of the die, cut out the image, take that die away and line up to cut the other side, or you can do both sides the same if you want.

I cut the dragonflies out of pattern paper and fussy cut around the part that is attached to put on top of the ones on the base of the die cut. Sentiment is from the same set.

• Die Cutting Essentials magazine  Issue 104 - Crafters Companion die - Dragonfly delight Aperture dies, Cut dragonflies out of pattern paper to add on top

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

Connie