Happy Thursday everyone! Time for another challenge from Create with Connie and Mary, and this week it is a sketch!
I had several ideas and but my chrysanthemums inspired me to go with flowers in fall colors of Blackberry Bliss and Tangelo Twist. They were stamped then diecut with the Flower Fair Framelits which make it so easy! I centered them with Gold Glimmer Paper for some sparkle.
I really like this sentiment is from the Lighthearted Leaves set; it's actually a good message any time of year : ) I stamped it in Garden Green onto Hello Honey cardstock, diecut it with the smallest Deco Labels Framelit and layered a 2" circle of Gold Glimmer behind it.
The Gold Baker's Twine was perfect for wrapping around the wood print Designer Paper before all the other elements were added. A small bow and touch of Victorian lace were added to finish it all off after it was layered onto the Soft Suede card base.
Stamps: Flower Patch, Lighthearted Leaves (sentiment)
Inks: Blackberry Bliss, Tangelo Twist, Garden Green
Paper: Into the Woods DSP; Crushed Curry, Soft Suede, Garden Green, Whisper White. Gold Glimmer Paper,
Accessories: Flower Fair Framelits, Deco Labels Collection Framelits, 1/4" Hole Punch, Victorian Lace, Gold Baker's Twine, Dimensionals, Glue Dots.
Here is the sketch we used this week from Create with Connie and Mary:
This sketch is so adaptable! Too often I have to think awhile to find an idea but quickly had several ideas using different themes for this sketch! Be sure to check out the uber-talented Challenge Team at Create with Connie and Mary for their projects this week then make your own and upload it to the Create with Connie and Mary website! We can't wait to see what you do!
This will be my last project as a Challenge Team Member with Connie and Mary. I have resigned as I have a family member with health issues to whom I need to devote more time. I have truly enjoyed my time with the delightful and gifted ladies who make up the team, past and present. Thank you for your inspiration and encouragement! It's been so much fun to get to know you all and enjoy your artwork! I'll still be blogging and joining the challenges as I have the time.
Thanks for visiting today! Happy Stamping to you all!!
Margaret
Happy Thursday, everyone! And Thursday brings us fun in the form of the weekly Create with Connie and Mary Challenge; this week we have a nifty Color Challenge featuring Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow and Soft Suede!
The Choose Happiness set has a number of great images which makes it so versatile; all here are from that set except for the Gorgeous Grunge "splatters".
I stamped the border in Soft Suede, add strips of designer papers and stamped one strip with the leaf stamp to bring in more pf the Mossy Meadow color. Some fine Victorian Lace was added onto the script DSP and then Linen thread wrapped around and tied in a small bow.
The flower center was graced with Basic Pearls of three sizes then the front layer attached to the Mossy Meadow cardstock base with Dimensionals. I just realized I didn't use the Big Shot on this card!! That's a rare occasion for me, lol!! Even the little woodgrain flag is a stamp in the set and was cut out by hand. : )
Stamps: Choose Happiness, Gorgeous Grunge
Inks: Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow and Soft Suede
Paper: Very Vanilla, Whisper White & Mossy Meadow cardstocks; Cherry on Top DSP, Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stack
Accessories: Blender Pen, Linen Thread, Basic Pearls, Victorian Lace, Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive, Paper Snips, Candy Dots
Here is the Color Challenge from Create with Connie and Mary this week:
You can see the other lovely creations on the Create with Connie and Mary website to get some more ideas for using these colors but I'm sure you will come up with some very cool ideas of your own! We want to see what you make so please upload your project to the Create with Connie and Mary website and we'll be by to leave you some comment love!
Thanks for visiting today! Happy Stamping!
Margaret
Hello Thursday! Time for another creative challenge from Create with Connie and Mary! Today and this week we have a simple sketch for our challenge!
I chose the Pretty Petals DSP Stack paper with butterflies on it for my color scheme with this sketch and selected the colors of Mint Macaron, Calypso Coral and Pacific Point to feature on my card.


- Cut Mint Macaron cardstock to 3-7/8" x 5-1/8". Dry emboss with the Fluttering Embossing Folder.
- Cut strips of the small butterfly and Calypso Coral small dot paper from the Pretty Petals DSP Stack and also Pacific Point cardstock to 3/4" wide and 4-1/2" long. Arrange on the embossed Mint cardstock using the sketch as a guide; adhere with Snail or Fast Fuse
- Die cut the "hello" from Pacific Point cardstock. Adhere to front panel with the Fine Tip Glue Pen.
- Punch Bitty Butterfly from the Calypso Coral tiny dot paper, Pretty Petals Paper Stack. Attach with Glue Dot and add smallest pearls down the center of butterfly and above the butterfly paper strip on the right side of the front.
- Create the card base from Mint Macaron cardstock, 11" x 4-1/4" piece folded in half lengthwise. Attach front panel with Dimensionals.
Stamps: none on outside
Inks: none on outside
Paper: Pretty Petals Designer Paper Stack; Mint Macaron, Pacific Point cardstocks
Accessories: Bitty Butterfly Punch, Greetings Thinlits Dies, Basic Pearls, Fluttering Embossing Folder, Big Shot, Magnetic Platform, Fast Fuse, Snail, Fine Tip Glue Pen, Dimensionals.
I really like these colors together and that butterfly paper is just sweet! So glad to have these cute word thinlits as well; there are more word thinlits in the Holiday catalog with holiday-type words. Yay!!
Here is the CCMC377 sketch for this week:
You can make this as simple or complicated as you wish.. we would love to see what your imagination does with this sketch!! Have you looked at the creations of the other Challenge Team members? They are so diverse you might not guess they are from the same sketch. So get to your stamping place as soon as you can and see what fun ideas you come up with! We can't wait to see what you do! Check out the Challenge Team cards at Create with Connie and Mary as well.
Thanks for coming by today! Hope to see you back soon!
Margaret
Wow, Can you believe it is the first day of October?!! And it must be Thursday because it's time for the Create with Connie and Mary Challenge! I really like sketch challenges and we have a fun one this week! Here's my card:
- I chose to go with leaves for my three main elements; these are stamped with the smallest leaf stamp in the Vintage Leaves set on three colors of cardstock then embossed with gold and diecut with the Leaflets Framelits.
- The base card is Rich Razzleberry, 8.5" x 5.5", folded in half.
- A piece of Very Vanilla cardstock cut 5" x 3.75" stamped with the Sheltering Tree in Tip Top Taupe, the ground in Sahara Sand and the rake in Sahara Sand (all stamped off once before stamping on the Vanilla layer). I colored the tiny leaf stamp with markers, stamped them off once then stamped onto the Vanilla layer then repeated this several times.

- The sentiment was stamped in Mossy Meadow, again stamped off once before stamping on the Vanilla.
- Treated the top corners of the Vanilla cardstock with the new Curvy Corner Trio Punch. Love that punch!
- I wrapped the Gold Cord around the Vanilla layer a number of times then adhered the diecut leaves with Dimensionals and adhered it to the Rich Razzleberry with Dimensionals.
I wanted the tree to fade into the background so the three main images, the leaves, would be the focus of the card; therefore I stamped off (also called "second generation" stamping) to make them lighter.
- Stamps: Vintage Leaves, Sheltering Tree
- Inks: Tip Top Taupe, Sahara Sand, Crumb Cake, Mossy Meadow, VersaMark. Markers: Tip Top Taupe, Rich Razzleberry, Tangelo Twist, Crushed Curry, Old Olive.
- Paper: Very Vanilla, Rich Razzleberry, Hello Honey, Old Olive
- Accessories: Gold Cord, Gold Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Big Shot, Leaflets Framelits, Curvy Corner Trio Punch, Magnetic Platform, Fast Fuse, Dimensionals, Snail Adhesive.
Here is the sketch from Create with Connie and Mary that we are using this week. Don't you think this is a cool sketch. I like that it's rather different!
We would love to see what you would do with this sketch! So play with it and see what you come up with then let us see your project also by uploading a link to your card to the challenge website at Create with Connie and Mary! You'll also want to check out the creations of the other Challenge Team members; there's lots of inspiration going on over there!! The Challenge Team will also stop by your card and leave you some comment love!! How about it?!
Thanks for stopping by! Happy Stamping!
Margaret
It's Thursday and time for our weekly challenge from Create with Connie and Mary! This time it's a sketch!!
It seems I am frequently needing a get well card and don't have one ready to go! I gave this set only a quick glance when looking through the new catalog until I saw a card made with it (do you do that too??) then decided this cute set might help and inspire me to get some get well cards ready ahead of time, lol!! I realized it was perfect for this sketch (turned vertical).

- I used this small-print DSP, stamped only the cup then cut it out and adhered the DSP to the stamped cup image, colored the inside of the cup with Blender Pens and ink pads, then fussy-cut the entire image.
- Using the new-in-the-Holiday-Catalog Softly Falling Embossing Folder, dry-emboss the 2" x 5.5" Pacific Point strip. Layer this on a 2.25" x 5.5" panel of Old Olive
- Fold an 11" x 4.25" piece of So Saffron in half crosswise and emboss the front with the Boho Chic Embossing Folder then adhere the Pacific Point Panel in the center using Fast Fuse (it will definitely hold it!)
- Now layer the image over the Pacific Point panel using Dimensionals
- Embellish with two hearts and one smaller one punched from Gold Glimmer Paper. Voila! Done!
Stamps: Get Well Soup
Inks: Tuxedo Black Memento, Pacific Point, So Saffron ink pads.
Paper: Pretty Petals DSP Stack; So Saffron, Pacific Point, Old Olive, Whisper White cardstocks. Gold Glimmer Paper.
Accessories: Blender Pen, Paper Snips, Boho Chic Embossing Folder (TIEF), Softly Falling TIEF, Small Heart Punch from Itty Bitty Accents, Confetti Hearts Border Punch (for smaller heart), Dimensionals, Fast Fuse, Glue Dots.
Here is the sketch challenge for this week from Create with Connie and Mary; you'll notice that I turned it to a vertical orientation : ) Feel free to adapt it to your needs as well!
This is a cool sketch from Create with Connie and Mary! We would love for you to join the fun, use this sketch as the basis for your card then upload it on the web where we can see your work then link it on the CCMC website! Be sure to look at the other Challenge Team members' cards for some great eye-candy and inspiration too!!
Thanks for looking! Happy Stampin'! See you at CCMC!!
Margaret
Happy Thursday!! It's time for another challenge from Create with Connie and Mary! This coming week we have a fun sketch to use as a basis for our creating!
After an inventory of my current stamps and mulling over several ideas, I chose to use the Bohemian Borders set for my card. I know the name says "Bohemian" but this set has a Native American look to me! (which I really like, by the way!)
My card is rather clean and simple; the other ideas that I had seemed to make it too busy so stayed with the clean look: Two rows of the diamond-shaped stamp in turquoise, centers of coral and a few diamond insets of saffron. The banner is Calypso Coral anchoring the wood "Celebrate". I believe this would make a great card for a guy.
Stamps: Bohemian Borders
Inks: Tempting Turquoise, So Saffron, Calypso Coral; So Saffron Marker
Paper: So Saffon, Whisper White, Calypso Coral.
Accessories: Expressions Natural Elements, Paper Snips, Glue Dots, Dimensionals.
Here is sketch CCMC371 from Create with Connie and Mary for this week:
We would love to see what you create with this sketch! You can see what the other Challenge Team members created by visiting the Create with Connie and Mary's website! Those girls can STAMP!!
Thanks! I appreciate you visiting my blog today! Have fun stamping!
Margaret
We have another fun challenge for you today from Create with Connie and Mary... a pretty COLOR Challenge! We're using one of our new In Colors that is so popular: Watermelon Wonder, as well as another long-time favorite Pool Party, plus Basic Black.
Isn't this new Hostess set, Best Thoughts, gorgeous?! I have been eager to use mine and thought these colors would really work well with it. I stamped the large flower on Whisper White cardstock with Watermelon ink then using my Blender Pen and ink I added more color to the petals, then fussy-cut it. The butterfly from the set was stamped with Pool Party ink onto Pool Party cardstock and again added more color with the ink pad and Blender Pen then fussy-cut it as well.
Next the same flower was stamped in Black on the ledger print in the Typeset DSP pack and the stem lightly touched with Pool Party (again the Blender Pen). The cut-out flower was layered over the ledger flower with Dimensionals.
The sentiment is grounded with a banner that was originally black and white designer paper; I colored the dots with a Blender Pen and Pool Party ink to tie in with the color scheme and added a Watermelon Blossom Accent centered with a Pearl.
Stamps: Best Thoughts, Something to Say (sentiment)
Inks: Watermelon Wonder, Pool Party, Memento Black
Paper: Typeset and Go Wild Designer Paper packs; Watermelon Wonder, Whisper White, Basic Black and Pool Party cardstocks.
Accessories: Word Window Punch, 2015-17 In Color Blossom Accents, Paper Snips, Dimensionals, Basic Pearls.
This is the Color Challenge from Create with Connie and Mary we used this week... so pretty!
I love the variety and gorgeous-ness (a word?) of the Challenge Team's creations this week! See them at www.createwithconnieandmary.com! While there check out the guidelines for the challenge because we would love for you to play/create with us this week using this cool color combination!! I look forward to seeing what you create!
Thanks for visiting! Here's wishing you a good week with time to stamp as well!
Margaret
Hello and happy Thursday! We have another fun challenge today from Create with Connie and Mary: bold colors!! This week we use Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango and Cucumber Crush for our challenge card. It really took me awhile to think how to use these together; I discarded several ideas before deciding on this design using the new Greetings Thinlits.
I'm really liking this new set of Framelits with their scripty words: hello, thanks, cheers. Can't you just think of so many ways to use them?! I diecut one "cheers" from each of the three challenge colors and layered them onto a Whisper White background dry embossed with the Lucky Stars embossing folder.
Next I made a banner of the Cucumber Crush print, treating the end with the Scalloped Tag Punch and adding underlays of Tangerine and Pacific. Next came the stars: I punched out the Tangerine star with the new Medium Star punch and added a diecut star of Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Paper which was on my desk, an extra from a previous project. The Rhinestone was colored with a Sharpie pen.
The card base is Pacific Point with a layer of the Cucumber Print added. The embossed white layer was added with Dimensionals. Two more Glimmer Paper stars finish the card, except for the inside where I added a strip of Cucumber print and another glimmer star.
Isn't this a fun color scheme from Create with Connie and Mary this week?
Now it's your turn to create! Check out the cards of the other Challenge Team over on the Create with Connie and Mary blog and see their creative ideas, then join us in this challenge!! These bright colors are perfect for a summertime project!
Thanks for visiting! Happy Thursday!
Margaret
I was really happy to see another beautiful butterfly set in the new catalog: this Floral Wings set! It also coordinates with the Bold Butterfly Framelits Dies for more beautiful butterfly options!
I don't normally copy projects but this card immediately caught my eye in the July-August magazine for Stampin' Up! demonstrators, Stampin' Success. I thought it was so gorgeous that I wanted to make one for myself so this is it. I did change a couple of things, however (don't we always?! lol!)
I changed the wooden expression to the "Congrats" from the original which was "Thanks" and I used a different although very similar washi tape. This butterfly is two-step stamping, and it couldn't be easier than with photopolymer stamps! The flowers stamped with Tangelo Twist here are all on one stamp and perfectly set up so that stamping is sooo easy! Love that! Both butterflies have coordinating framelits; the smaller Vellum butterfly on top gives a soft look, don't you think?
Behind the butterfly is one of the small Silver Metallic Foil Doilies (new in the Annual Catalog) which give some shine to the card. Those long stems or vines are also a stamp in the set and I can see using them with other stamp sets also.
Stamps: Floral Wings
Inks: Mint Macaron, Tangelo Twist, Mossy Meadow
Paper: Mint Macaron, Whisper White cardstocks; Vellum cardstock
Accessories: Cherry On Top Washi Tape, Metallic Foil Doilies, Expressions Natural Elements, Bold Butterfly Framelits Dies, Big Shot, Glue Dots, Dimensionals
Hope you enjoyed! I have just the person in mind to send this to!
Margaret
It's Thursday and time for our weekly challenge from Create with Connie and Mary! This time is it a very lovely combination of colors: Perfect Plum, Mint Macaron and Sahara Sand; I also used Very Vanilla as a neutral.
First I dry embossed the top 3/8's of the Very Vanilla background piece with the Elegant Dots Embossing Folder then added a 4" x approximately 2-1/4" piece of Mint Macaron and Very Vanilla Stripe from the Pretty Petals DSP Stack which was torn on top and bottom (I had previously stamped it with the small flowers stamp in the set, stamping off first for a lighter color. A length of Sahara Sand Lace Trim was then wrapped around the center of the DSP. The greeting, from this same Birthday Blossoms set, was stamped on the lower portion of the front panel in Perfect Plum.
I stamped two of pansy flowers then colored them with inks and my AquaPainter then punched them out. I did the same with the Petite Petals flowers and the leaves then stamped and cut out one of the small flowers from the birthday set.
I began my arrangement first with a small Silver Foil Doily then placed the flowers and leaves and adhered them. For a little more shine, I tucked loops of Silver Metallic Thread beneath the flowers before adhering them, although they don't show up well in the picture. Tiny Basic Pearls in the flower centers are the finishing touch!
Stamps: Birthday Blossoms, Petite Petals
Inks: Perfect Plum, Mint Macaron
Papers: Pretty Petals Designer Series Paper Pack; Sahara Sand, Very Vanilla, Whisper White cardstocks.
Accessories and Tools: Elegant Dots Embossing Folder, Pansy Punch, Petite Petals Punch, Blender Pen, AquaPainter, Basic Pearls, Paper Snips, Sahara Sand Lace Trim, Silver Metallic Thread, Metallic Foil Doilies, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Snail Adhesive.
Isn't this a pretty combination for our Color Challenge from Create with Connie and Mary this week?
So now it's your chance to use these colors for your creation this coming week! The participation guidelines are on the Create with Connie and Mary website; while you're there, peruse the cards offered up by the challenge team this week... they always amaze me with their talent!
Thanks for visiting this week! Here's wishing you Happy Days and happy stamping!
Margaret
You know what Thursday means? It's time for the Thursday Create with Connie and Mary challenge!! Today we have a really fun and versatile sketch!!
I used the cow from the Barnyard Babies set on the oval element of the sketch (you can use any shape but I stayed with the oval). The images in this set are so cute, as are all the different expressions included. I think maybe this cow has a little attitude? or maybe just happy. : )
I used my AquaPainter and alcohol to brush on some Pear Pizzazz then brushed with some diluted Cucumber Crush for the grass. Love that Petite Petal set and punch; I seem to use those often!
Stamps: Barnyard Babies, Petite Petals, Hardwood, Something to Say (smallest flowers)
Inks: Daffodil Delight, Watermelon Wonder, Tempting Turquoise, Melon Mambo, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede. Blushing Bride, Cucumber Crush and Soft Suede Markers. AquaPainter, alcohol, Cucumber Crush and Pear Pizazz inks.
Paper: Watermelon Wonder, Crumb Cake, Cucumber Crush, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight.
Accessories and Tools: Rhinestones, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, 5/8" Chevron Ribbon, Paper Trimmer, Ovals Framelits, Big Shot, Magnetic Platform, Petite Petals Punch, Sm. Flower from Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Banner Triple Punch.
Here is the sketch for this week from Create with Connie and Mary:
Nice, easy and versatile! We would love to see what you do with this sketch so join us this week at Create with Connie and Mary, would you?! All the guidelines are on their blog site. Also check out the Challenge Team cards as they always come up with such great ideas!
Thanks for visiting today! Hope you take the challenge and have a stamp-y weekend! : )
Margaret
If it's Thursday, it's the Create with Connie and Mary Challenge and this week it's COLOR: Basic Black, Watermelon Wonder and Crushed Curry. I couldn't wait to use this new-in-the-catalog set Birthday Blossoms also!
I really like the flowers in this set! This one coordinates with the Pansy Punch which means no fussy-cutting! : ) There are five sentiments in the set as well, including this one, so plenty of variety. I diecut the striped and solid white papers with the Lots of Labels Framelit set for the focal background and bumped them up with Dimensionals. Next I added the side flowers with Glue Dots and the center flower with a Dimensional. Before adhering the flowers I cut a little deeper between the petals and used my Bone Folder to give them a little curl. I wanted to keep the pretty clean-looking so kept it simple.
Stamps: Birthday Blossoms
Inks: Watermelon Wonder, Crushed Curry and Memento Tuxedo Black.
Paper: Cherry on Top DSP Stack (Crushed Curry print), Go Wild DSP Stack (Black & White stripe), Basic Black, Whisper White.
Accessories: Project Life Corner Rounder, Pansy Punch, Lots of Labels Framelits, Blender Pen, Basic Pearls, Big Shot.
Here is the Color Challenge for this coming week from Create with Connie and Mary:
Now it's your turn to take the challenge... are you up for it? The guidelines are on the Create with Connie and Mary website. You'll also find the creative cards of the the other Challenge Team members there for your enjoyment and inspiration!
Thanks for joining me today and have a happy weekend!
Margaret