Spring Wreath

 I am really surprised on how pretty the dimensional stickers are at the Dollar store, I thought they would be pretty on a wreath and I was right :)

• Melissa Frances - Wreath die
• Crafters Square - Pop up stickers (flowers)
• Spellbinders - Happy Birthday die

I have been awfully busy again, haven't even had time to make my cards that I need to get done for birthdays and I need to get my Christmas cards done for this month also, which I have started on, but none are finished.  I will be visiting blogs as I find time, I do appreciate your stopping by, 

Connie

Flowering trees

 My favorite thing about spring is the flowering trees, so when I saw these flowers at Hobby Lobby I thought oh my they are so pretty I just had to pick them up.  I paired them with one of my birds I put together using scraps of papers.

• Paper Studio - Dimensional La Petites flower stickers
• Spellbinders - Sweet Birdies die
• Pink Fresh - Classic Edgers die
• Basic Grey - Porcelain paper
• Crafters Companion advent calendar 2020 sentiment stamp and die

I would like to share with the following Challenges:

Triple B Challenge

Beautiful Blossom Challenge

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

Connie

Sending Hugs

 An older couple in our church have had some bad health troubles including cancer, Sending a card to let them know they are in my prayers. This is one of my favorite digital stamps, it colors up so nicely.

• Power Poppy - Digital stamp, colored w/markers
• Sizzix - Tags Rounded die
• Papers - unknown

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

Connie

Thank you

 My sister sent a large balloon bouquet for my birthday in March and she had such a run around with the company that was supposed to deliver them, I got them a few days after my birthday.  But most of all I wanted to thank her for being a fabulous sister.  She is so thoughtful, caring and loving. Always wanting to help and be a great encourager.  I am the closet with her then all my siblings and I am so thankful for the special relationship we have.  We need to remind those that we are close to and love so much how much we appreciate that they are in our lives.

• 49 and Market - Vintage Artistry Natural mini collection paper
• Carta Bella - Flora Ephemera
• PPD - Stitched Curvy Coved Rectangles die
• Carta Bella - Flora Ephemera
• Butterfly die
• Queen & co. - Blue Jelly gems

I added those leaf rub ons in the bottom right corner and then topped them off with a butterfly die cut and a little gem.  The sentiment panel needed something extra so it would stand out from the background so I added a die cut piece under it.

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

Connie

Spring Garden

 Our cardmaking group had a card exchange and so I decided to play along, I went with a spring theme and I hadn't used my step card die for quite some time so I thought it was time to break it out. I love the arbor with the flowers blooming over it.

I took a top view since you couldn't see the tiny flowers on the step area of the card.

The little birdie is a wooden bird, I just added a little ink to him, and a little bush he could sit on. I shaped the little flowers with a foam mat and my stylus and added stickles to the center. Colored the planter and bush with markers.

• Sizzix - Card Basics Step ups die
• Taylored Expressons - Garden Arbor & Gate, Arbor Accessories and Door to door decor dies
• Fiskars - Grass punch
• Tim Holtz - Small talk sentiment sticker
• Recollections - Wooden bird w/inking
• Stickles - Scattered straw (flower centers)

I usually try to wait to write in them after my picture taking but forgot this time. I also forgot to write down the paper I used.

I would like to share my card with the Four Seasons Challenge Spring

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

Connie

Go with your heart

 I wanted to get out some of my older goodies I hadn't played with in awhile and this is one that I thought would make a lovely card for my friend.  I added some pattern paper to the inside of the butterflies.

• Memory Box - Kensington Branch die
• Tim Holtz - Mixed Media die and small talk sentiment
• Crafters companion - Advent calendar, Paper 
• Queen & Co. - Pave Gem

I would like to share my card with Word Art Wednesday anything goes

We have been busy shopping for a new vehicle and yesterday we spent the day putting together Raised Garden beds and filling them with dirt, lets just say we both can feel it today that we have used some muscle we haven't used in awhile :)

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

Connie

One of a kind

 I am back again with another masculine card using more ephemera, stickers washi tape and die cuts.

• WeRmemory keepers - For The Record papers & tag
• Hero Arts - Birthday message
• 49 and Market - Curators Meadow, washi tape faux stamp
• Tim Holtz - Funky nature die (feather)
• Mushroom sticker from Amazon

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Cute animals

 When I saw the challenge over at Double D Challenge cute little animals, the first thing that I thought of was the little turtle that came in my Spellbinders Advent calendar, he is too cute and comes with the balloon and party hat so it was perfect for our little nephew turning 2 on my hubby's side of the family :) The sentiment banner comes from the advent calendar too and I like how it cuts into the banner to reveal the sentiment.

• Spellbinders Advent Calendar dies - Turtle, balloon, party hat and sentiment banner dies
• Spellbinders - A2 matting basics A dies
• Sassafras - Apple Jack paper

We watched the Eclipse of the sun yesterday and was able to get some yard work done too, so no blogging for me yesterday so once again I am behind but I will be catching up with you all soon :)

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

Connie

Best Day

 I broke out some ephemera and dies to make up this card, I just love how it turned out.

• 49 and Market - Curators Meadow 6x8 paper, Curators Meadow Rub-on transfers(Squirrel on pattern paper piece)
• 49 and Market - Artistry Essentials Foliage Acetate Pieces (Leaves and Butterfly)
• Tim Holtz - Specimen die
• Letter dies

I am sharing my card with

 Simon says Wednesday challenge Happy Birthday

Word Art Wednesday Anything goes

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today

Connie

Coneflower

 I had been eyeing this flower for some time and I finally bought it :)  I added a bit of embossing behind, I did add a little bit of pattern paper, the piece I stamped the sentiment on.

• Honeybee - Coneflower die
• Tim Holtz - Bricked embossing folder
• Memory Box - Botanical Stem
• Simon Says - Tiny Words Birthday sentiment stamp
• Queen & co. - Yellow Sunshine Gems

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

Beautiful Blossom Challenge 

Triple B Challenge 

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

Connie

Birthday Bird

 I was stumped what to do for my friends birthday card so I went to the challenges and thought I would do a challenge with embossing folders since I don't use mine nearly enough.  I went with doing the technique where you ink the background of the folder and then run it through your die cut machine, well I had to do it several times and it just didn't get a good result so I took a wet brush and kind of went around and tried to smooth it out, I cut a circle from the piece that looked the best and went from there :) The twist was to use birds so I picked an embossing folder that also had birds.

• Cuttlebug - Birds and Swirls embossing folder
• Spellbinders - Floral Doily Motif and Sweet birdie dies
• BasicGrey - Periphery paper
• Stamps of Life - Minis4circles sentiment stamp
• Martha Stewart - Bird Border punch

I wanted a little something more at the bottom so I got out my border punch of birds and punched it out, I felt it needed a little something so I took ink on a little brush applicator that Leslie told us about in one of her post and added a touch of ink to each of the birds, took a bigger brush to add some ink to the bottom part of the punch. I added a die cut layered bird I had already made up that I thought popped off the card, there was a little to much dark.

I would like to add my card to the Can you handle the pressure blog optional birds challenge

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

Connie

Lamb of God

 He is Risen!!!

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter as we celebrate our Risen Lord! So thankful for the hope and joy I have in Jesus and the forgiveness he gives when I fall short of being the person he wants me to be.

These are the last two cards I made for Easter this year. Using the same stamp just a little differently.

• ODBD - The Shepherd stamp set, colored w/markers
• The Greetery - Crimped Frame die
• Sparkle confetti sequins

The last one I did not get a good side view of it, it was quite blurry.

• ODBD - The Shepherd stamp set, colored w/markers
• PPD - Wavy stitched Rectangle die
• Clear sequins

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

Connie

Sketch

 This card was made using the sketch that our cardmaking group had for this months challenge.  When I saw the suggested size squares be 1" I knew just the stamps to use and the big square was to be 2 1/4" and this die was pretty close to that, so I used that space for the sentiment. I did a little bit of soft inking around the die before removing it from the cardstock.

• Inkadinkado - Flower Garden stamp set
• Marvy - 1" square punch
• Spellbinders - Labels One die
• Cardmaking magic - Birthday verses stamp sentiment

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

Connie

Merry Christmas

 In my stamp group the challenge was clean and simple, going through the dies I hadn't used before I came across this sentiment die set and thought that will make a quick card, oh was I wrong I am sharing the card I made first and I cut the vellum piece first, tried to sponge glue onto the back to stick it down so I could inlay my cut piece of foil for the inner sentiment and that was quite the ordeal, then I added tiny spots of glue to the back of the letters and when adding it to the inside of the vellum piece tiny bits of glue got on my fingers and started taking the foil off the letters, in the example they show flowers around the sentiment so I stamped and colored some tiny flowers and die cut them out and added in those places that the foiling had come off.

• Spellbinders - Stylish Merry Christmas die
• Vellum and foil papers
• Crafters companion advent calendar 2023 - stamp and die set flowers, colored w/markers

After that whole ordeal I am now thinking that may be the last time I use that die but decided to try another one and this time using white cardstock instead of the vellum and glitter cardstock instead of foiling and I do think I like my second card much better.

Spellbinders - Stylish Merry Christmas die

ODBD - Christmas paper 2014

Spellbinders Advent Calendar 2023 - Flower and leaf dies

Now I only needed one more Christmas card and I would have my 6 for the month but when getting these papers and image around to make my card, I thought it would be just as easy to make two of them so this month I have an extra card.

Papers, images and sentiments from paper craft magazine

Die cuts from Tim Holtz Funky festive dies

There we go all cards done for the month!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Tags

 Our cardmaking groups challenge for this month was use a tag on your card.  I have a whole set of tags you can cut out from my paper pack so I went right to them for this challenge and so thankful because it made the cards go a little quicker since the month is quickly coming to a close.

• Stamperia - Classic Christmas pack (paper and tag)
• Close to my heart - Star eyelet

On this church tag I added a rectangle piece of cardstock behind that I rounded the corners on top and added a die cut tag to the top

Stamperia - Classic Christmas pack (paper and tag)

Crafters companion - advent calendar bow die cut out of gold vellum

Corner rounder punch

tiny snowflakes from another die cut

• Stamperia - Classic Christmas pack (paper and tag)
• Poppystamps - Pin Point Main Street tags die
• Close to my heart - Star eyelet

I have 3 more to go and I will be done for the month, these months need to quit flying by so quickly I don't have time to get my Christmas and all my birthday cards done.

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

Connie

Dream Big

 My cardmaking groups challenge for a Birthday card this month was to use recycled items. I save a lot of Tissue boxes to the point where I really need to quite I have no more room to store them, so I decided to use a couple of them on today's card. The Flowers and the panel behind are from tissue boxes, and as you can see they do cut well with the die cuts.  The leaf behind the flowers is from the backing to an ephemera package of Tim Holtz.

• The Greetery - Crimped Frame die (using tissue box)
• Spellbinders - Rose Creation dies (using tissue box)
• Cheery Lynn Design - Fanciful Flourish die ( using back of ephemera packaging)
• Crafters Companion - Sentiment die from advent calendar
• Gems & Brads

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

Connie

Cross

 I did two cards using this cross stamp coloring them a bit different in each one. The first is my favorite but probably because I used colors I like the second card was using colors that my daughter likes. I fussy cut the banner with the sentiment inside and popped it up with dimensional tape above the cross.

• Impression Obsession - Cross of Flowers stamp, colored w/markers
• Spellbinders - A2 Devine Eloquence die
• Crafter's Companion - Advent calendar paper 2022

On this card I decided that the sentiment would look good across the cross which I also popped up with dimensional tape..

• Impression Obsession - Cross of Flowers stamp, colored w/markers
• Hot off the press - 4 Lacey Rectangle Frames die
• WeRMemorykeepers - For the Record paper

I would like to share my card today with Simon Says Wednesday challenge Easter/Spring

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

Connie

Have a nice day

 This little bird is from a stamp set I bought at the dollar store, I meant to use it on a challenge but forgot to post in time and I was too late :( The sentiment and leaf came in the same stamp set.

• Crafter's Square - Bird stamp set (bird, sentiment and leaf) colored w/makers
• Gemini - Torn Edge Circle die
• Spellbinders - Lacey Circles die
• Kat Scrappiness - Mini Slimline Stitched Rope die
• WeRMemory keepers - For the record paper

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

Connie

Green theme

 I used my layering dragonfly stamp on today's card, now that it is warming up we have all kinds of insects coming out, and the trees are starting to bud with flowers and leaves. I cut the background which looks pretty dark in the picture from green pattern paper, and stenciled the background with a river rock stencil.

• Hero Arts - Color layering dragonfly stamp, fussy cut
• Spectrum noir - Clear sparkle pen on wings
• Poppystamps - Thicket Frame
• Honeybee - River Rock Stencil using Iced Spruce distress ink
• Craft consortium - Ink drops organic paper
• Starform - Happy Birthday sticker

I don't know if you can see the sparkle on the wings of the dragonfly in this picture or not.

I would like to share my card with the following blogs

Colorful Options - Green Challenge

Double D Challenge - First signs of spring challenge

Stencil Fun Blog - Easter/Spring Challenge

Sisterhood of Crafters Green

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

Connie

Glitter bird

 I came across this card kit that you add glitter to the different areas to make up the bird, can you believe that the picture on the front shows black glitter for this bird but there was none in the kit and I did not own any either, so I went with a bronze color instead so we made up a new bird :)  I was thinking of trying to add some black reinker to some of my white glitter but I don't have a lot of it and didn't want to waste it if it didn't work, I think there is one more bird in the set that needs black glitter so if you have an idea for me I would love it :)

The kit also comes with some card blanks that has adhesive around the edge to add glitter so I used theirs this time. First I stenciled on some clouds and also added a die cut branch for him to sit on.

• Martha Stewart - Glittered Bird Card kit
• My Favorite Things - Cloud Stencil
• Memory Box - Woodland Branch die
• Hero Arts - It's your day sentiment stamp

We had some crazy storms go through yesterday, we saw on our phone that it showed there was a chance of rain and we had been under a Tornado watch all day with nothing happening, so we decided to chance it and go out for my birthday dinner, the restaurant we were headed to is about 20 minutes or so from our house, well we got about 7 minutes into it and thought wow that sky is getting black, but we kept going, then the wind started kicking up and ahead we could tell it was raining pretty hard so I told my hubby to turn around, as we were turning around we got pelted by hail, not sure what size it was but it was smacking the windshield so hard we thought it was going to break, he drove pretty fast and got us ahead of it enough that we were able to get in the house safely before it hit us here.  There was one confirmed Tornado in another town and some poles and trees that were knocked down in another, but we did ok :)

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

Connie

Bunny Trail

 There were some really cute and pretty images from my Marjolein Bastin 2023 daily calendar, I just had to use a couple of them for some Easter cards this year.

• Marjolein Bastin 2023 daily calendar - Bunny image
• Spellbinders - Labels 8 die
• Paper Studio - La Petites 3D sticker flower
• Stamps of Life - Postmarks 2 stamp sentiment
• Little flower stamp

The second one is for my sister in law who loves tulips, well any flower really :)

• Marjolein Bastin 2023 daily calendar - Tulips image
• Impression Obsession - 6 in 1 Rectangle frames die and Sentiments II stamp
• PPD - Stitched Mini Scallop border die to cut sentiment

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

Connie