Nativity

 I managed to finish up my Christmas cards for the month, two of each of these designs.  I made four backgrounds, one of them I didn't like at all so I ended up using a piece of patterned paper that I had. The card on the left is my background the card on the right is patterned paper that had silver foiling in it already.

• Taylors Expressions - Bethlehem Border die
• Nuvo Shimmer powder - Blue Blitz and Violet Brocade
• Hero Arts - Merry Christmas message stamp set
• Star die from Hobby Lobby, cut w/silver foil cardstock
• Silver pen

I took a glue pen and put little dots all over the background then laid foil over them, rubbed for a little bit and let set for a few seconds then lifted up and that gave me the starry sky.

The card on the left was done with distress inks and the one on the left with more powders like the above set of cards but I took a paint brush to it, didn't like how that turned out as well.

• Taylors Expressions - Bethlehem Border die
• Distress inks - Faded Jeans, Broken China for background
• Star die from Hobby lobby
• Glue and foil for stars in background

I made it just in time but I got my Christmas cards done for the month of January :)

Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by,

Connie

Ornament Swag

 I am once again going to try and make Christmas cards every month so I am not overwhelmed at the end of the year. In my stamp group we are doing challenges every month again and this months challenge was to use our dies.  

I did not use this die last year so I thought I would break it out this year once again.

• Frantic stamper - Ornamental Swag die
• Spellbinders - Candlewick Rectangles and Holiday sentiment dies
• Recollections - Christmas plaid and Christmas embossed papers
• Sequins

• Frantic stamper - Ornamental Swag die
• Spellbinders - Wreath and Holiday sentiment dies
• Lilybee designs - Jingle paper
• Nuvo - Golden sunset glitter drops

• Frantic stamper - Ornamental Swag die
• PPD - Wavy stitched rectangle set die
• Cardmaking & papercraft - sentiment tag
• My Mind's eye - Snowed in winter papers

I have a few more that I want to do by the end of this month so we will see.

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

Connie

Tea Stained

 I decided to try my hand at tea staining my paper.  After making my tea I took my used bags and squeezed the water out of them and then smooshed my paper into the mixture and let it set to dry.  I used one of the tea bags to cut out my doily die to go behind the stamped flowers.  

I used the same ink that I used to stamp the flower and added a little water to it and used that to splatter the background.  I distressed the edges of my tea stained background and then added some walnut stain distress ink to go around the edges. I don't know if you can see them but I used little gold glitter stickers on the background too.

• Deep Red - Wildflower bunch stamp
• Distress ink - Faded Jeans and Walnut stain
• Tea stained background w/ faded jeans ink splatters
• Prima - 8 point doily die, cut from used tea bags
• Starform - Glitter gold stickers
• Simon Says birthday sentiment

I am sharing my card today with the Sisterhood of Crafters challenge which is make your own background.

We managed to get close to 3 inches of snow, and it stayed cold so we still have it, and looks like it may be around for a little while as our temps barely get above freezing tomorrow.

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

Connie

Enjoy the ride

 When I saw this packet of ephemera, I just loved them all so I just had to pick it up, I used the bike and the butterfly out of the set.  I thought this paper pack went great with it.  I added washi tape for the bike to ride along on. I stamped the sentiment on a piece of scrap that I had from the pack.

• Stamperia - House of Roses, die cuts (bike and butterfly)
• 49 and market - Coral Mini Collection paper
• Tim Holtz - Rose washi tape
• Simon Says stamps - Tiny words Birthday stamp

Doesn't this little scene have you all excited for spring to come. I know I am ready!

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

Connie

Best day ever

 Back in October when I did a guest spot for Birgit, you can see the post HERE I also had in the kit this sweet little fawn, although at the time I couldn't find a way to use it, I kept it in the back of my mind and thought it would be so cute with the wood slices die that I got.  I last shared the ornaments I made with the wood slices HERE. 

The green leaves were cut from an Alcohol inked background I had and the other one was cut from patterned paper. Sorry don't know the maker of the brad, I didn't keep the info with it. For the fawn I did a little inking on him and then used my white gel pen for the spots. added a little black marker on the nose and eye.

• The Greetery - wood slices dies
• Cottage Cutz - Resting fawn dies
• Tim Holtz, Sizzix - Funky Floral #3 die
• Hot off the press - Sarabooks Ivory paper and tag
• Simon Says stamps - Tiny words birthday stamp
• Brad

Hope you have a good start to your week, ours is very soggy, but thankful it has been rain all night and not snow, he said if this rain would have been snow we could have had close to 12 inches of snow, no thank you.

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

Connie