Dog in a Barrel

 Using more of the Advent calendar goodies from last year, the dog is only from the chest up, so it took me awhile to figure out how to use him, I thought he could have got into the barrel and is peeking out, the sentiment stamp was from the Spellbinders calendar too. The clourds and sun were dies from Diamond Press.

• Spellbinders 2024 Advent Calendar - Dog dies and sentiment stamp
• Diamond Press 2024 Advent Calendar - Clouds and Sun dies
• Impression Obsession - Whiskey Barrel Planter die
• Fiskars - Grass punch
• RS Tapestry - Grass Blades peg stamp

I still have a couple dies left from last years calendar that I just haven't had a need for, one is a suitcase, but I do think I have an idea for that, just not sure yet.  Feels good to have used almost everything from the calendars in the past year, we will see if I can do that again this year :)

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

Connie

Coffee Lover

 I made this card last month for our Coffee loving Pastors birthday, I have been trying to use all the goodies I have left from last years advent calendars before I started opening the ones this year. The cup and border dies are both from 2024 calendar.

• Diamond Press - 2024 advent calendar - cup dies, sentiment stamp and border die
• BasicGrey - Periphery paper
• Spellbinder - Blossom die

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Connie

Sympathies

 I have two to share today, the first is for my friend, who lost her cat this year. I tried to color this like her cat, she has it on display at her home and she told me every time she walks by it just touches her so.  That is why we do this in hopes that others will feel the love that goes into our cards, so it was an encouragement for me to keep going :)

• ODBD - Kitty stamp colored w/markers
• Taylored Expressions - Care & Comfort II sentiment stamp
• Memory Box - Stitched Rectangle layer die
• Gems

This next card is for my best friend I had while living in England, she told me that her sister had passed away. I used some stickers I had bought from Amazon to use in my junk journals but thought would be nice for a thinking of you card.

• Stickers from Amazon
• Basic Grey - Periphery paper
• Spellbinders - Romantic Rectangle die
• Ieebee - Fluttering Blooms washi tape
• Diamond Press - Gold pen
• Pebbles - Sentiment rub on

We actually have had a couple of days above freezing and we are going to get back to artic cold so today we are decorating the outside of the house after hubby get off work, we will have about an hour of day light so whatever we can get up in that amount of time will be it for this year :)

Hope the rest of you in the states are staying warm they say this is one of the coldest and snowy starts of the year we have had in awhile.  Praying for those out in Oregon getting all that rain, hope you are all staying safe too!

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

Connie

Birthday wishes

 I broke out my dollar store stamps for this next card, clean and simple. I also am using some new dies I bought from Michaels with a coupon, they make frames.

• Crafter's Square - Flower stamp, colored w/markers
• Recollections - 8 piece frame die set
• Fiskars - Essential Sayings sentiment stamp
• Diamond Dots - Gems

That's the end of all my Autumn birthday cards :)  I have been working hard on trying to get my Christmas cards written out and mailed, but half way done :)

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

Connie

Many Happy Returns

 Using more of the cute Studio Light images for my next card, framing her with a couple of dies.

• Studio Light - Charming Autumn paper elements (deer and foliage)
• Poppystamps - Nordic Pattern Rings dies
• Cardmaking Magic - Birthday verses, sentiment stamp, fussy cut

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

Connie

Autumn Bouquet

 Yes I still have Autumn birthday cards to share.  I decided to try my hand at making my own bouquet wrapper, is that what they are called, I have looked at dies many times but just never bought one.  I used some of the papers that came inside an Amazon packaging, the paper is very thin and I thought it might be easier to form, I did a little bit of inking of the paper too. For this one I used a 3 inch piece.  The flowers I used is still more stamps from the magazine I bought at Barnes and Nobles this past fall, they call them summer florals but I have been using them on my fall cards too :)

• Creative Stamping Magazine - Summer Florals stamps, colored w/markers
• Crafter's Companion - Advent calendar paper
• 3" piece of Amazon packaging for the Bouquet wrapper w/inking
• Diamond Press - Advent Calendar 2024 Banner die and sentiment stamp
• Spectrum Noir- Clear Sparkle pen on butterfly stamp
• White Gel pen for center of flowers
• Diamond dots

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by in this busy season,

Connie

Pocket and tag

 I shared a bag and a tag before now I am sharing an envelope and I added a tag, these are really nice for journaling but I have found I like doing them instead of cards too, my hubby's sister really liked it. The maker of the envelope just came out in a new release a month or so ago with an insert for the envelope, I may just have to get that one too :) Although as I found a tag that fit well you can use anything to fill the envelope. I made a bunch of the envelopes a long time ago and so I can't remember the paper I used for them. I also have a whole bin of the Tim Holtz labels I made ahead of time and can't remember where the stamp I used inside is from.

• Spellbinders - Essential Envelope and Delicate Asters die cut from Color Burst Background
• Tim Holtz - Vintage Label die w/stamp
• Daisy Mae Designs - Tag die
• Cardmaking magic - Birthday verses sentiment stamp
• PPD - Mini Stitched square die
• Ieebee- Fluttering Blooms washi
• Ribbon and twine
• Stickles

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

Connie

Sunflowers

 I didn't manage to get all my Fall birthday cards posted before December so I will be still sharing those through the next week.  It seems weird because we have just received our first snowfall of the year and I think just looking it must be at least 4-5 inches, I have not gone out and checked.

• Stampin up - Painted Harvest stamp set, layered stamping
• Elizabeth craft designs - Bees die, using vellum for the wings
• Fiskars - Essenteal sayings sentiment stamp
• PPD - A2 stitched banner die set
• Paper from scrap bin

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

Connie

Happy Thanksgiving

 Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends.  I had shared all my cards I had made this year for family, so I thought today I would share a Diamond Dots project I bought last year for the Autumn Season and never got around to doing, so this year I was determined to get it done.  After I finished and I was trying to decide what to do with it, hubby surprised me and stopped at Michaels after work one day and brought home this frame, I wasn't sure it would work but it was called a floating frame and it worked perfectly for this.  I tried to get a picture of it without the reflection of the glass. The image is 12x15 inches.

• Diamond dots kit from Walmart Fall of 2024
• Floating Frame from Michaels

For those that came to see a card I will share one of those too :)

For awhile I was pretty good at going through my scraps and not used items that I had cut out and ended up not using for other cards but I had gotten away from that and my bin is getting full so hopefully I will start to use up goodies from that bin.  For this card for my friend I ended up using a very delicate but I made on my silhouette machine, I have not used that machine in years so you know how long that has been unused. Some die cut flowers and a background that I made with our stamp group in one of our online meetings.

• Silhouette - Corner cut
• Background I made
• Spellbinders - Scalloped Classic Ovals die
• Crafter's Square - Sentiment stamp
• Altenew - Nature's wonders enamel dots
• Tim Holtz - Flower dies

So thankful for you friends who stop by and give such great encouragement of my cards, wishing you much to be Thankful for too!

Connie

Fall Fence

 These are my last two Thanksgiving cards, this first one that I stamped seemed a little bare so I added a die cut pumpkin to the scene :) I sponged on some ink for grass and then stamped a few little touches of grass. Some light inking of blue just so that it isn't so white.

• Penny Black - Fall Fence Stamp, colored w/markers and Pumpkin Parade die
• Distress inks - Mowed Lawn and Tumbled glass
• CRS Tapestry - Grass blades peg stamp
• 49 and Market - in the leaves rub-on sentiment

I would like to share this card with the Penny Black Saturday challenge 

Next up is another of the images my hubby made for me on the computer.

• Image my hubby made on computer
• Spellbinders - Classic Scalloped Square small die
• Memory Box - Stitched Rectangle layers die
• 49 and Market - in the leaves rub on sentiment

Well we have a wintery mix of rain and snow coming early Saturday morning, so winter is making it's arrival, I can say I am not ready.

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

Connie

Autumn Harvest

 I have a couple more Thanksgiving cards to share, they don't all have traditional sentiments on them this year but I am using what I have.

This first was using another stamp set.

• Great Impressions - Fall Garden stamp set, colored w/markers
• 49 and Market - In the leaves, wishing bubbles and trinkets (sentiment)
• Spellbinders - Labels 37 die

This next one I got recently at the stamp store in Missouri, more pretty Studio Light goodies.

• Studio Light - Charming Autumn die cut ephemera
• Jute twine

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

Connie

Sisters

 Thanksgiving cards for my sisters, I went with a stamp and shaped card for my first, I know don't be in shock that I didn't use any pattern paper :) Going with a classic clean look. I did a little inking around the edges before removing the die.

• Inky Antics - Pumpkin Scenes stamp set, colored w/markers
• Spellbinders Labels 29
  
  

This next one I used an image from my daily calendar because of the message on it, my brother in law has been going through a lot of health problems over the past couple years and we got some good news recently, so this fits perfectly and they both like coffee :)

• Katy Daisy, Just Bloom 2025 Daily Calendar image
• Graphic 45 - Botanical tea papers
• Martha Stewart - Border punch

Even though this has been a rough year at times, we can always find things we are quite grateful for!

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

Connie

Collaboration

 One time when we went into Michaels hubby found these beads that you put together and then melt them with an iron, he thought that was a neat idea, I told him I didn't think I wanted to try that and he ended up getting them for himself.  His first try didn't come out perfect, but he gave it to me and said I should use it on a card, so since Thanksgiving was coming up I thought I would use it for his sisters Thanksgiving card and that way it would be something from both of us.

• Beaded Leaf
• PPD - Burlap Swatch die
• 49 and Market - In the leaves rub on sentiment
• Diamond Dots

Next up is a birthday card for my nephew and I went with a Graphics Fairy image and some stamped leaves to frame it.

• Graphics Fairy - Leaves and branch print
• Hero Arts - Wood frame infinity die
• Stamp in up - Leaves 1997
• Sentiment stamp was in my scraps box

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

Connie

Be Joyful Always

 I bought this tag and bag die set for my journaling, I got it on sale :) But I thought it would make a nice gift for my sister in law, I know she has devotional books that she could always use a bookmark and thought the tag could work for that.  She has received it and said she will be using it :)

I love the jagged edge on the bag.

• Hot off the press - Tag in a bag die set
• K&Co. - Ancestry.com papers for the bag
• Graphic 45- Botanical Tea paper for tag
• Stamps of Life - Praise4Him (verse on envelope)
• ODBD - Scripture Collection 2 stamp set (tag)
• Lawn Fawn - Outside In Stitched Scalloped rectangle die (on bag)
• Spellbinders - Lacy Squares die (pocket on tag)
• Hot off the press _ Botanical Library (inside of pocket on tag)
• Impression Obsession - Spring bird die
• Ribbon and string

I glued the square die on tag on sides and bottom only so that it could be a pocket to hold anything in there she may want to save our take notes.

That is all for today, hope you have a great week ahead and thanks for taking the time to stop by and say Hi,

Connie

Celebrating you

 These Paper Rose images are just gorgeous and they have a touch of shine to them that makes them extra special looking on the card.  When hubby saw these with me he said those are cool, so I thought, I can always use more images for guy cards :)

• Paper Rose Studio - Lakeside Memories embossed die cuts
• 49 and Market - In the Leaves 12x12 papers, PVC die cuts (leaves) and Wishing bubbles and Trinkets epoxy xtickers
• Spellbinders - Labels one dies
• Simon Says stamps - Tiny words Birthday sentiment stamp

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

Love those pretty papers Optional Forest Critters

NBUS Challenge Duck die cut

Word Art Wednesday

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by, hope you have a great weekend, we are enjoying very warm weather right now and sun.

Connie

Happy Hugs

 I have a couple cards I made for people in my church. The first was an older lady that recently started coming to our church, she is in need of prayer so I thought I would send a card to remind her that I was praying for her.

Hubby made me a few Autumn pictures on his computer using AI, and this image is one of them.

• Picture hubby made using AI
• DCWV - Earth Prints paper
• Hot off the press - Life Happens Greetings stamp sentiment
• Spellbinders - Blossom and Delicious Decorations (leaf) dies

A man in our church got Covid and was hospitalized.  I went with another Autumn themed card for his get well.

• Tim Holtz - Leaf Fragments and 3D Oak Leaf dies
• Tag from friend
• Art Gone Wild - Get well stamp sentiments

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today, I am a little behind on visiting blogs, been a bit busy, but will get to them :)

Connie

Autumn Birthday wreath

 Using more of the stamps from the magazine I bought at the bookstore. This half wreath stamp fit just right on an A2 size card. Fussy cut the flowers and butterfly and popped them up to add them to the wreath, and did a lot of inking.

• Creative Stamping Magazine - Summer Florals Stamps, colored w/markers and fussy cutting
• Distress Oxides - Spiced Marmalade, wild honey and Scattered Straw
• Crafter's Square - Birthday stamp sentiment
• Gold watercolor Paint Splattering

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

Four Seasons Challenge Fall

Triple B Challenge Birds Blooms and Butterflies

Double D Challenge Wreaths

I want to say how thankful I am for all our Veterans, who have done so much for our country, and a shout out to my hubby who is one of them :)

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

Connie

Forest Critters

 Love Those Pretty Papers Challenge this month was to use Forest Critters, and my first thought was my Heartfelt Creations papers and stamps, and this nephew still had not received a card using this set.

• Heartfelt Creations- Woodsy Wonderland Paper collection, Woodsy Critters Stamps and dies and Trees stamps and dies  (the trees were in a bunch and I cut them apart)

I love how you can make so many different scenes from the paper pack and all the images and then add your stamps to enhance the scene, and as many of these I have made I still have a lot left :)

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

Connie

Anniversary

 Hubby and I celebrated our Anniversary last month, well we delayed going out because I have been sick for the past week with a bad cold that is still lingering a bit but we have decided to go out for dinner tonight and celebrate :)

I could not for the life of me find what I had in mind to do for him, what I am thinking is I may have thought I should buy it but didn't, that has happened to me before LOL!  So when I came upon these ephemera pieces, I thought they would be perfect.  After the card was all done and I am looking at it I thought oh this would have made a good valentine card, but guess it works for either :)

• Simple Stories - Simple Vintage Love story ephemera
• Base paper from my scraps bin

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

Connie

Pastor Appreciation

 Last Month was Pastor Appreciation and once again I turned to my Proverb's in Color for the sentiment on them for Our Lead Pastor and her husband that is our Pastor of Discipleship and Outreach.

I loved this Proverbs verse for our Pastor because it fits her perfectly. I had a lot of small strips left from this paper pack so I made the background using them and then added another piece behind the coloring card.

• Christian Art Gifts - Proverbs in Color, colored w/markers
• Sassafras - Mix and Mend Papers

For our masculine Pastor I picked this verse because he is so handy around the church and he has put in a lot of work for our Community Garden we have at church. I colored the whole thing and just didn't like how it turned out so I cut out the verse and put the bottom part of the clipboard.

• Christian Art Gifts - Proverbs in Color, color w/markers
• Tim Holtz - Noteworthy
• Park Lane - Text stamp
• Amazon tag sticker
• Brad

I would like to share my card with Simon Says Monday Challenge using Tim Holtz products

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

Connie

Stitched Christmas

 Yes I am late getting my Christmas cards for October posted, I have been working on them all month long and I finally got them done. The Challenge for this month in our group was to do stitching on cards, just so happened that I had purchased last years Stitched Advent Calendar from Spellbinders, since they were on sale cheap, plus I got 20% off.

• Spellbinders 2024 Stitching Advent Calendar (Tree) with white/gold metallic DMC thread
• Recollections - Gingerbread Forest Paper 6x6 

On this snowman I attached it to the card using removable tape so that they can hang it on their tree if they want to.

• Spellbinders 2024 Stitching Advent Calendar, Snowman with DMC thread
• My mind's eye - O Christmas tree paper
• Poppystamps - Snowscape die
• Recollections - Sticker book sentiment

Michaels this year had some new dies and the stocking was a new one for me so my hubby picked it up for me and surprised me with it.  I cut the die twice and cut the top with foam sparkle. The borders were washi tape they had and the papers too.  The Santa's beard was to be stitched with just straight lines but I added a few more stitches so his beard would be a little fuller.

• Spellbinders 2024 Stitching Advent Calendar, Santa, with extra stitching on beard to make it fuller
• Recollections - Stocking die, cut twice and cut top with Glitter foam, Christmas Plaids paper, Washi tape for borders and Christmas embossed papers

• Spellbinders 2024 Stitching Advent Calendar, ho HO ho
• Paper Studio - Cozy Christmas  paper and Christmas sticker book

On HSN's Craft Day they had these Crystal Art Card kits, they were so cute, I had to pick them up, not realizing half of them are Square, so I decided that I am going to use those ones for the people that I hand deliver cards too.

• Craft Buddy - Crystal Art Card kits

I love how this company does different sizes of their crystals, makes it even more sparkle and interesting.

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

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

Connie