Best Day

 Last year on HSN craft day they had this set from a new to me company from England and it was a card kit with these cut animals, scenes and tags, along with stamps.  It was a really good price so I ordered them and they just make me smile they are so cute.

I stamped the sentiment from a different set onto one of their tags, the flowers and grass are also a stamp, I wanted it to go all the way across the bottom of the card so the grass on the right has been drawn in with marker.

• Stamps by me - Create a Card kit, Best day ever collection- (racoon, tag and stamp flowers and grass)
• Simon Says stamps - Tiny words Birthday sentiment stamp
• Basic Grey - Brad

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

Connie

at the beach

 My nephew moved down to Alabama last year and his kids are enjoying being at the beach more often, they have gone all winter long, and my great nephew has especially loved going, they have shared pictures of his big smile when he is at the beach. So when I went to make his card I remembered this stamp image a fellow card maker stamped out for me years ago and thought it would be perfect.  I later found out that that is where they celebrated his birthday this year too, so it was perfect.

I inked the sand and water and using a stencil the sky, colored him with markers.

• Stamp from friend, colored w/markers
• Inked sand, water and using my homemade cloud stencil did the sky, drew in the birds
• Memory box - Stitched Rectangle layers die
• Spectrum noir clear sparkle pen on water
• Tim Holtz - Clippings sticker book for sentiment

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

Connie

Masculine get well

 We have another guy in our church going through cancer treatments, and surgery, I wanted to let him know we are praying for him.

• Crafter's Companion - Advent Calendar, Embossing folder and dragonfly stamp and die cut
• ODBD - All Occasion sentiments stamp

I would like to share my card today with the Can you handle the pressure? Blog

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Cats

 My long time friend loves cats, and I had picked up this deck of playing cards when we were at Wall drugs on our trip out west last Fall, when I got home and was looking through the deck, I knew when I saw this card it would be perfect for her and she did love the card :)

• Master Pieces - cats playing card by Gary Patterson
• DCWV - Linen Closet paper
• Vellum to make a pocket
• Martha Stewart - circle punch
• Fiskars - Corner rounder
• Impression Obsession - Cat dies
• Hot off the press - 63 Thinline Border Dazzle stickers
• Diamond Dotz
• Hero Arts - All occasion messages sentiment stamp
• Spellbinders - Labels trio die

The cat on the top I just added some white gel pen, the gray on the bottom I added black stripes to it and the one on the bottom left was cut from pattern paper.

The playing card once out of the pocket, I made a pocket for the playing card so she could take it out and do whatever she would like with it.

I promised I would share more from our Montana trip last Fall, and I figured now is a good time since I was sharing something I bought out there :)

The first two were from a trail we found to walk, it was mid day so it was a bit warm so most of my pictures are of the trail in the shade were I didn't mind lingering for awhile :)

This drive was just beautiful.

As you can see they had a fire in this area

I will share more again soon, just have other things I need to get to today.

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

Connie

Trees

 In our stamp group this month the Christmas challenge was to use trees on our cards, she mentioned that she had seen cards that used both positive and negative shapes for their cards so that is how I started out.

On this first card I cut the tree shape from the background paper and then placed scrap pieces of green papers behind, adding the sentiment on top.

• Recollections - Tree die, scrap papers for the tree
• Anna Griffin background paper
• Simon says tiny words Christmas
• Pink and main banner die cut

Then I took the piece that I cut out and added some ornament stickers to it, not sure what I think of this card.

• Recollections - Tree die cut
• Paper studio - Background paper
• Anna Griffin - paper for tree
• Hobby Lobby - Christmas sticker book, ornaments and sentiment

Then I did the floating technique on the next one, I added strips of paper to a piece of acetate, then I cut out using the other size tree die, put foam strips behind the papers.

• Recollections - Tree die, scrap papers, floating techniqe
• Twine
• My mind's eye winter papers, background

The next two were clear ephemera and clear sticker trees, I added some stamped music at the top of each of them.

• Recollections - Christmas tree, clear sticker
• Stampendous - Caroling music PCS stamp

On this last one I used gold ink for the music stamp, and the tree is a die cut on white background.

• Recollections - Christmas tree ephemera
• Stampendous - Caroling music PCS stamp

Lastly I had also bought some tree stamp and die set that Michaels had on sale before Christmas. Tore the papers for snow and added some stickles. I thought the white snow might show up better from a cream background but not sure if I like that or not, also look what the wind did to the tree in the foreground, it grew a little tilted, LOL!

• Recollections - Tree stamp and die set
• My mind's eye - Winter papers
• Die versions - Seasons greetings die
• Memory Box - Valley Deer trio die
• Torn paper for snow
• White gel pen and Crystal stickles

That is my Christmas cards for Febuary, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today,

Connie

Stay Cool

 I needed a teen card and was having trouble of what to go with when I found this in my coloring calendar and thought it would work, I liked that it came with the sentiment, I just colored and fussy cut it out. I mounted on this die cut that had a wavy look to it, kind of mimicking a melted popsicle :)

• Color for calm 2018 calendar- image colored and fussy cut
• We R memory keepers - For the record papers
• Darice - Nesting Wavy squares die

Thanks for stopping by,

Connie

Pretty Papers

 This paper pack has such pretty papers and also panels you can cut out too, I love when a set has it all, makes matching so much easier.  The butterfly was even cut from the paper. I did a mini slimline card once again.

• DCWV - Primrose Paper (paper, panel and butterfly)
• Pizzaz aplenty - Butterfly die
• Hot off the press - 130 tiny words and phrases sticker
• Sequins

I would like to share my card today with Love those pretty papers challenge 

This should be our last day below freezing temps, it will be nice to go outside again, and thankful the sun is shining too. Hope you all have a good weekend.

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Group card

 Our stamping group got together last month for our Skype meeting and I am hoping I remember this right, but I believe we stamped a background stamp onto glossy paper using clear embossing ink, let that dry, we did not use embossing powder with it, I think I have done this in the past but used embossing ink. Then we took Color Burst, which are powdered ink and misted with water to activate the ink..

We then took our card base and scored an 1 1/4 inches over from the card fold, glued that portion together, added a border strip that we embossed, I used a border embossing folder from my Advent calendar, then added some string to that scored area.  I hope that all made sense. 

• Fun Stampers Journey - Lace Background stamp
• Diamond Press - Border embossing folder from advent calendar
• Ms. Sparkle & co. Wooden Butterfly (Brushed inks on to color)
• Making memories - Perfect Pink ribbons set
• Memory Box - Greetings tabs foiled 

Added inks to the butterfly with a brush. The inside was a pop up fold she taught us, can't remember at all how we did it.

Cardmaking magic - Birthday verses for inside of card

I would like to share today's card with Can you handle the pressure Fchallenge, mine is flowers embossing

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

Connie

Masculine Birthday

 I have been looking for this daily calendar for awhile and just thought I must have put it somewhere else in the house, but the other day I had to move something and there it was, I could have sworn I looked in that area many times, so who knows, but I decided now that I found it I needed to use them, my nephews were born same day but 3 years apart, so I picked out two pictures I thought they would like.

• Thomas Kinkade - 2012 daily calendar (image)
• Spellbinders - Lg. Deckled Rectangle and A2 Distressed Edges dies
• Hero Arts - Birthday message stamp
• Craft Consortium - Metal Textures paper

• Thomas Kinkade - 2012 daily calendar (image)
• PPD - Stitched Postage stamp rectangle die
• Spellbinders - A2 Matting basics A die
• Craft Consortium - Wood Textures paper
• Hero Arts - Birthday messages stamp
• Starform - Silver outline birder sticker

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

Connie

Happy Valentines day

 We haven't exchanged cards yet but I know hubby is too busy to look at my blog so I can post :)

After so many years of making Valentine and Anniversary cards for hubby I am starting to have trouble coming up with something new.  Well one day I was cleaning up in January and I was going through things that I might want to save for my junk journal and what I could get rid of when I came across the packaging from my Honeybee order and on the back they have this cool truck with hearts and I thought there is my Valentine card for this year, and it just so happens to fit on a slim line card so it worked out great!

I colored with markers, as you can see it is a brown cardboard it comes in, I used 3 different reds for the hearts and added some white gel pen for the head lights, inked across the bottom to give it a road to sit on. Used My favorite things cloud stencil for the background.

I thought I would share what the packaging looked like before I cut it out and colored. I had to do a bit of erasing of the black marks that was all over it, when I first started coloring I thought I would cut the truck out but instead was able to remove the black marks with an eraser and use the whole panel.

I thought I would also share something I found at Michaels just before Valentines, this was a 4 card pack with envelopes, Diamond Art kit of  the same picture, they were 40% off so I couldn't pass them up and I like that they didn't have a sentiment on the front so I could use them for any occasion. 

Here is the close up, doesn't it look like the flowers are just popping off the card.

I thought I would share something hubby gave me a couple weeks ago.  Another flower, I shared awhile ago one he drew of a sunflower. This time he took red tissue paper that was left over from Christmas presents and made a flower, very 3 D looking, drawing the stem of it.

How cool is that, I thought I would show you a close up of the center of the flower, yes that is torn up pieces of corrugated cardboard, I thought that was very creative and thought it might give you all some ideas :)

I would like to share my card with Double D Challenge Hearts

Wishing you all Love and Happiness today and always,

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

Connie

Out of this world

 There were 3 different space themed diamond dotz in this package and this was the last one, I had already used the space ship the alien and now the planet. My hubby found them at JoAnn's.  I stenciled some clouds for the background and then thought there wouldn't be clouds up there right it would be stars and other planets and then I remembered that I had these big metal star brads in my drawer that I am assuming I have had since my daughter was in school but not really sure where they came from, but thought they were a good size to go with this.

 

• Diamond Dotz - Space set
• My Favorite things - Cloud stencil
• Star Brads

On the inside of the card I wrote I hope your day is out of this world!

We are headed for another snow/sleet/freezing rain situation today, I know it is hitting a lot of the country, I hope all stay safe.

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

Connie

Believe in Daydreams

 I was having troubles thinking on what to do for my great nephew turning 18, so I just went searching through all my stuff trying to find something that would give me inspiration and I was going through my basket of all these things I have made in the past and never used and I starting pulling things out that would kind of go together. 

The very bottom background I believe was a stencil that I off set and used two different blues. The next blue layering I believe was those powder colors that you shake out and add water too. The main image is an ATC I did years ago and I used stencils and stamping with a bit of stickles, it felt like it needed a little more so I added the wooden bird.

It is a bit different then my usual type of cards but I guess it is nice to get out of the same old, hope he liked it.

• Artist trading card as focal, using stamps and stencils
• Fiskars - rounded corner punch
• Stencil for background
• Tim Holtz - Metallic sticker book (sentiment)
• Hobby Lobby - wooden bird

Thanks so much for stopping by today,

Connie

Warbler

 This is my first time using the Leafy branch oval, I saw it and thought that would be great for my birds :) I used a few scraps to make up my bird. I colored the oval with markers and added these flowers to it made with more scraps. I added a few clouds behind with a stencil. I added the sentiment sticker along the curve of the die.

• PoppyStamps - Leafy Branch Oval die, colored with markers
• Simon Says - Layered Warbler die
• My Favorite Things - Cloud Stencil
• Crate Paper - Gingham Garden paper
• Tim Holtz - Funky Florals #3 dies (flowers)
• Starfrom - Text Stickers, colored w/gold marker

I would like to share my card today with Simon Says Wednesday challenge blog

and the Triple B challenge, I used birds and blossoms. NBUS Challenge #71 (Leafy Branch die)

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today, we are getting colder again and have snow coming early next week, winter is not done with us for sure.

Connie

Vintage Roses

 This was another paper pack with ephemera that I just couldn't pass up, isn't it pretty. The button is even part of the paper ephemera, I put some holes in it and threaded some thread through. I have inked all the edges and popped some of the things up with foam tape!

• Studio Light - DIY Block Vintage Roses papers pack with ephemera

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

Connie

Teen girls

 I have a couple cards I can share that I sent to a couple great nieces, they are all growing up so fast. I used a dye for the sentiment and the cupcake, I have had these birthday present rub ons for a very long time now and thought they would make a nice border for this card. I added a few sprinkles to the cupcake with markers.

• Yvonne Creations - Happy Birthday die
• Memory Box - Stitched Circle layers die
• Spellbinders - Happy Birthday cupcake die
• Martha Stewart - circle punch
• BasicGrey - Rub ons, presents and swirl

This next one I used some butterfly ephemera and framed them using a border punch.

• American Crafts - Stitched butterflies
• Martha Stewart - Butterfly border punch
• Tim Holtz - Small talk sentiment

I am in shock, I guess we are supposed to hit 70 degrees today, tomorrow will be back in the 40's but I love when we get these unexpected hopes for spring coming :)

Hope your week is off to a good start.

Thanks for stopping by,

Connie

Floral Vases

 I found this set of Ephemera at Hobby Lobby and really liked the images so I had to pick it up, I paired it with a Spellbinders die that I thought framed it so well.

I will be sharing my card today with the Simon Says Wednesday Challenge featuring Spellbinders.

• Spellbinders - A2 Devine Eleoquence die
• Carta Bella - Metropolitan girl papers
• Paper studio - Vase in flowers ephemera pack
• Sentiment stamp
• Martha Stewart - pearls

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today, Hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend!

Connie