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