Home for Christmas

 The Christmas challenge in my group for this month is to use House or Village in our cards, I kind of stuck to it in the first few the last was something entirely different.

I inked a background, forgot to write the colors I used. Die cut the town, and then found a small star die set and used that and white gel pen for the stars.

• Taylored Expressions - Bethlehem Border die
• Distress inks for Background
• Crafter's Companion - Twinkling Stars die

I found two pictures I thought would work great for this style of card so I made two.

• Penny Black - Immense Joy die
• Thomas Kincaid - 2012 daily calendar for imags
• Martha Stewart - Holly punch, colored w/markers
• Old paper distress ink around edges of card

I know this is only a front door in my next card but I really love this Chipboard Ephemera, so I had to use it, the sentiment came in the same pack so I just added some inking and a frame.

• Crafter's Companion - Holly & Ivy die
• Simple Stories - Simple Vintage Old Fashion Christmas Chipboard pieces
• Old Paper distress ink around edges

So this last one I had just seen THIS CARD on Can you handle the pressure challenge and I thought wow that looks like she used a die from the advent calendar, so I went to her blog and sure enough it was, I had not used that die yet and you know how I am trying to use of the goodies from last years calendar before I start opening this years in December so I just had to give it a try.  I had to try it in pinks.

Instead of an embossed background I used a stencil, toned it down a bit with some inks to blend the background a bit, then went to town on making the tree. I used 3 different pattern papers from the same paper pad. I didn't want to cover up all the embossing but it needed something so I went with cutting out a vellum piece to put behind the tree.  I used a pink scrap to cut out a bow for the top, and used a die for the trunk of the tree.

• Spellbinders - Advent calendar 2025 die for tree branches, Labels Trio for trunk and Cut vellum from Decorative Labels 28 (behind tree)
• Stamperia - Sweet Winter Background paper pack
• Echo Park - Christmas wonderland Stencil
• Distress ink through stencil - Speckled egg and Kitsch Flamingo, Old Paper blended over the whole background
• Diamond Press - Advent calendar (bow die) from scrap paper

That's all for this month, I need to look and see how many more I need.

I am sharing my card today with Peace on Earth Challenge and Stencil Fun Challenge 

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

Connie

Autumn Lakeside

 I love these designs for guy cards, this one for my oldest brother. I used papers and diecuts from the same set, other than the orange came from Tim Holtz's new paper pack. I fussy cut the stone paper to look like a stone wall. Mounted the image onto some die cuts and used a die for the sentiment.

• Paper Rose studio - Lakeside Memories, 6x6 paper pack for the rock border and embossed die cuts
• Tim Holtz - Pallete Collection Orange paper
• Spellbinders - Classic Inverted Scalloped circles die
• Elizabeth Craft Designs - Happy Birthday die

You can see the embossing these images have on them, gives that extra something.

I would like to share my card today with Seize the Birthday Challenge - Fall colors.

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

Connie

Wreath and Basket

 Sharing two more Crystal Art cards from the kits I got.  More that I was able to hand deliver to friends.

Craft Buddy - Crystal Art card kits

Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Connie

Thoughts and Prayers

 I was the lucky receiver of some collage papers that Leslie had that she thought I might get more use out of and I used one on my card today.  I started off with a background I had made using glossy cardstock that I have had in my container of backgrounds I have made, it was in all blues but I wasn't very fond of it until adding the collage paper on top it now looks pretty good :)

• Background made from Glossy card stock and inks
• Tim Holtz - Serendipity Collage papers and 2x3 collage card
• Spellbinders - Candlewick Rectangles and sentiment dies
• 49 and Market - Vintage Artistry Serenity Postage Washi
• Inky Antics - Simple Sentiments stamp

 

I would like to share my card with Simon Says Monday Challenge Make your own background

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

Connie

Deepest Sympathy

 Sharing the card I made for my sister after her hubby passed. It felt so weird not to go to the funeral but my sister said she knows how long that drive is and we had just seen them the week before he passed and how much he appreciated us stopping by on our way back home from Michigan. Hubby was having a very intensive week at work so I would have gone by myself and that would have been rough.  

She had gotten a new walk in shower put in that she has to make payments on so we sent her the money we would have had to use for gas to get back there and she was much appreciative of that, helps me feel a little better about not making it but still felt strange not to be there. So sad he passed before it was installed but she is having hard time getting in and out now so it will be nice for her.

• 49 and Market - Vintage Artistry Essentials 6x8 papers and Ephemera bits
• Fiskars - Essential sayings sentiment stamp
• Nuvo Crystal drops

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

Connie

A dream

 For my purple loving friend :)  She has mentioned before how she likes sentiments that aren't always the expected so when I saw this sentiment on one of the journaling cards I thought that would be a neat birthday sentiment, as we dream for what we think the next year will bring :) 

I also added some ephemera to the top of the journaling card using some foam tape to lift it up, also a butterfly since she loves those too on the left side.

• Prima - Aquarelle Dreams 6x6 paper, Ephemera (flowers and butterfly) and Journaling cards

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by today, hope you all have a great weekend. I am all excited that next week we are supposed to have a cool down, no more 90's feels like the 100's!! I am going to get a lot of yard work done, I hope anyway.

Connie

Get Well

 I have had to make so many get well cards here lately that when our group got together for our teams meeting this week, I didn't have anyone in mind for this card, just thought it would be good to have a card on hand. The technique we were to do is get a stamp with line drawing, and some bright or busy pattern paper for the base. Stamp the stamp onto the pattern paper, paint it with white ink and then paint the whole inside of the stamp with white paint. Well I couldn't find my white paint I wanted to use, but did find some distress paint in white so I tried using that and it just came out clear, don't know if it needed shaking or what, so I went to pink paint that I had, but when stamping the paper moved and when I went to stamp again it was all messed up.  Instead of trying again and having to wait for the paint to dry, I just stamped it and colored it again. Of course I didn't have a full sheet of that paper left so I found two scraps and used them on the front.

I took a picture of it standing up, but with the fold you couldn't see very well how the embossed card stock shows a little bit, so I tried laying it down, the fold still didn't allow it to lay fully flat.

• Hero Arts - Magnolia (flower and sentiment)
• Elizabeth Craft designs - Flower Mosaic embossing folder
• Inside - Inky Antics - Simple sentiments stamps

The card base measured 11 x5.5 and scored at 3 1/2, 5 1/8 and 6 3/4

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

Connie

Butterfly wishes

 I don't know if you remember or not but awhile back I collage a sheet of pattern paper with strips of washi tape and then used my dies to cut out birds, butterflies and such. I brought one out again for my next card. These papers were from JoAnns and these tags were also in the paper pack. I like the gold touches it has to it.

• Park Lane - Old world paper and tag
• Paper Pazazz - Butterfly die cut from washi strips collage
• Fiskars - Essentials Sayings sentiment stamp
• Diamond dots

I would like to share my card with Triple B Challenge birds, blooms or butterflies

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

Connie

Special Couple

 I forgot to share the card I gave to my niece for her wedding. I got a thank you note in the mail from her and she said as soon as she opened the envelope she told her hubby I know this one is from my Aunt Connie before she even looked at the inside of the card.  I was trying to figure out what to do for her card and when I was going through my Diamond Art stuff I saw this and thought it would work for their card.

• Craft Buddy - Crystal Art card kit
• David Tuteria - sentiment sticker (Joanns)

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

Connie

Sunflowers

 I am not sure that is the kind of flowers this is suppose to be but that's what I am saying :)  Using more of the goodies from my Advent calendar from last year.

• 

• Diamond Press - Advent calendar 2025 - Flower and sentiment stamps and Wavy Square die
• Sassafras - Mix and Mend papers
• Diamond Dots

I would like to share my card today with Simon Says Monday Challenge Stamp it

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

Connie

Stay Curious

 Using some more 49 and Market goodies for my card today, I just can't resist these :)

• 49 and Market  - Peach 6x8 Mini collection paper pack and Peach Laser Cut Elements
• Pearls

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

Love those pretty papers Optional Fall colors

Word Art Wednesday Challenge Anything goes

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

Connie

Happy Day

 I just received my Advent Calendar for this coming Christmas from Spellbinders and I still have things from the Calendar last year so I thought I had better get to using them before I start opening my new calendar in December.

After embossing the folder I decided to add white gel pen marks between the embossing, I really love how that looks.  The butterfly is a stencil that I fussy cut. and the sentiment is from the calendar also.  I got this press plate after winning a gift certificate from Pretty pink Posh.  Finished it off with some Diamond dots.

• Spellbinder Advent Calendar 2025 - Embossing folder, Butterfly stencil and Sentiment Banner
• Distress inks on Stencil - Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans, Tumbled Glass
• Pretty Pink Posh - Checkered Pierced Plate die
• Basic Grey - Periphery paper
• White gel pen on embossing piece
• Diamond Dots (butterfly trail)

I would like to share my card today with Can you handle the pressure Challenge (optional bees)

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

Connie

Trees

 Our Christmas Challenge for August was to use Trees on our Christmas card. and or watercolor.  I did the trees in most of the cards but only a little watercolor. 

 I know I am late posting last month cards but when I was at Michael's the other day and I saw this layered stencil, and our theme was trees I had to get it. I dotted some silver pen on the trees to give them a bit of snowy look, and you can't see it well but on the bottom I used glue pen on the base instead of ink and then added some glitter for a snowy base.  Stamped and fussy but the little snowman.

• Recollections - Tree Stencils, 4 layers, w/glitter at the base for snow
• Distress inks - Walnut Stain, Gathered twigs, Peeled Paint, Iced Spruce, Picket fence
• Crafter's companion - Snowman stamp, colored w/makers and fussy cut
• Starform - Merry Christmas silver sentiment sticker
• Silver pen around the image

Next I did a couple of those scratch cards from Brea Reese.

My hubby asked where his letter stencils were at and when I got in the drawer I keep them in to get out all the letter stencils I found these very old Plaid Stickers, that have to be over 20 years old.  I thought there is probably no way these are going to work, but as you can see in my next card this poinsettia came off pretty good, all I did was add a sentiment and done.

Lastly I tried my hand at watercoloring with Spectrum Auqa pens and I don't think it came out quite like I wanted but thought it was still ok to frame the stitched ornament I did from Spellbinders advent calendar. The branches and flower dies also came in the package.

• Spellbinders - Advent calendar 2024, stitched ornament dies
• Penny Black - Background Basics stencil, water colored inside with Spectrum sparkle pens 
• Inking around card with Fossilized Amber distress ink
• Hot off the press - 63 thin line dazzles sticker (ornament hanger)
• Spellbinders - Ribbon Banners die
• Penny Black - Cozy nights - sentiment stamp

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

Connie

Always with you

 Before we left for Michigan we found out that my brother in law was going on hospice, his lung cancer had come back and was now in his bones, he opted for no more treatments. I sent this card to him. I found these die cut images at Hobby lobby and thought they would be great for thinking of you cards, they don't put names on their die cuts, but they have some pictures on the back of the packaging to give you an idea of what is inside.   

Sad news is that he passed away a week after we saw him. I am so glad we had the time to stop in and see him before we left Michigan. He was in good spirits and was laughing and joking with us, great way to remember him :)

• Paper Studio - Die cut pieces (sentiment piece)
• K& Co. paper - K-ology Hannah pad
• Arden Creative Studio - Vintage Makers Essentials Vellum Ephemera (butterfly, tab and leaves)

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by, 

Connie

16th Birthday

 For all the guys in the family I have been using cars for their 16th birthday, this one is from advent calendar die set. In the first picture you can see my reflection in the car, but I used bronze metallic cardstock for it. Added the license plate and a border for the car to ride on :) and die cut the sentiment.

• Spellbinders - Advent Calendar car dies
• Tim Holtz - Metallic cardstock
• Recollections - Awesome boy papers
• DieVersions - Celebrate die

I would like to share my card with the following Challenge: The Paper Players Tic Tac Toe Challenge, I did the Transport, Free and For the kids blocks

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

Connie