Color Throwdown 553

I made this card using the above color challenge from Color Throwdown for a lady from a scrap group on Facebook that sent me a birthday card on my birthday. So, I'm returning the favor since her birthday is this Saturday.

The card base is from a piece of Neenah Creative Collection Bright Premium Cardstock that I trimmed down to fit in an envelope. The patterned paper is no longer in print, but is from Stampin' Up Sweet Soiree Designer Series Paper.  The orange strip of paper is also from the Neenah cardstock pack. So you see my pink, orange, and yellow colors in my card. The stamp is from The Stamps of Life January 2019 card kit and I stamped it with Gina K Designs Amalgam ink on white cardstock that I trimmed down for the card. The 3 bling dots are from my stash. I didn't want to put a lot on the card since the patterned paper is already busy enough. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Feel free to become a follower if you aren't already.

Thinking of You Card

 The roses image and the sentiment inside are both from Petals For the Pittman's Fundraiser . The blue solid paper that I used for the card base is from Neenah Creative Collection Bright Premium Cardstock. The blue hydrangea paper is from my stash. I trimmed it down to fit as a mat behind the rose image and everything else. I colored in the image with Sharpies and used a grey Color Inc gel pen to add some accents. The bling in the corners is from my stash. The butterfly is from Basic Grey that I was given at a card workshop in 2017 at Stamp and Scrap Expo in Mesa, AZ. The leaf enamel sticker is from Jasmine Jones collection. I distressed the edges of the hydrangea paper with Tim Holtz  Distress Oxide Peeled Paint ink. The butterfly chipboard is from Stampin' Up and part of my birthday present from my friend, Laura, who's link I just gave. I ran it through my Xyron 1.5 Create A Sticker maker to stick to the card.

close-up of inside of card

I mailed this card to a friend on Facebook who just recently had back surgery as an encouragement card for her. The linky party is for Gary and Larissa Pittman and they both need help paying for their medical expenses. The party ends July 28 so you have 11 days to play along. Have a great day!

Adventure Awaits Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us for  

The Adventure Awaits BLOG HOP

This is a blog hop featuring our Adventures! Whether we enjoy camping, hiking, swimming, traveling, staying close to home or venturing far away, we love to document our adventures!

You should have arrived from SANDY http://simplycraftycreationsbysandys.blogspot.com/ If not, Connie Can Crop , is the beginning of this hop!

This is a one day blog hop, but you have until Sunday at 10pm to finish hopping and leaving your love for all of these talented crafters.

We have two awesome sponsors for this hop!!

Coloring with Nikki is giving away this gorgeous Handwritten Background stamp from RG Studios to one lucky winner.

AND

 Connie has put together this set of Me and My Big Ideas (Mambi) goodies! 12x12 Kit, Sticker phrases, and a Washi pack!!

What do you need to do to win? Easy... become  a follower of each of the fabulous blogs in this hop and leave each of them a comment letting them know what you like best about their projects. Free Shipping to our USA friends but Worldwide will be asked to pay shipping if they win.

You will have until 10 pm Sunday to finish the hop and leave your comments on every blog to be eligible to win. 

Winners will be announced on Wednesday 7/17/19 here at Connie Can Crop.

Be sure to follow everyone and leave a comment along the way!

 Grab your favorite beverage, if you haven't already and be prepared for a long post. I'm sharing a 2 page layout and a SMASH book 2 page entry about my birthday.

Both of the main papers on my 2 page layout is from Oriental Trading Company Beach Pack. I didn't take a picture of them side by side since the papers are not just alike. I did use the same papers on each to make them flow together. I used 2 stamp sets from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps- By the Sea Clear Stamp Set and Wish You Were Here. I combined the 2 sets for the title- Birthday Fun in the Sun and stamped them with Gina K Designs Amalgam Ink. The patterned paper behind the picture of me- Beach Selfie- is from The Paper Studio Sketchy Beach Icons. The striped paper behind it is from my stash. The paper behind the picture at the top is from Creative Memories Snorkel Cove photo mats- the lady that gave me this set just passed away earlier this summer so I will treasure all the supplies she shared with me. This picture is our group selfie- me, Emily, and Brian- my sister and brother-in-law. I typed all of my journaling on my computer. The bottom picture is of the beach- Fort Macon State Park Beach Access June 27, 2019-  as I first saw it from the boardwalk- beautiful! The paper behind it is also from my stash. The papers behind these pictures are pieces of  Stamps of Life Sending Smiles Collection and Happy Hello Collection 6 x 6 paper pads that I trimmed down. I've been watching YouTube videos on layering and didn't quite layer like the ones I've watched, but it does give the layout a little extra pizzazz! The little phrase sticker by my beach selfie- right where I want to be- is from Carpe Diem Good Vibes Mini Sticker Tablet meant for a planner. Cool breeze and Beach Bums on the next page are fabric stickers from my stash.

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The main paper behind everything has beach towels on it, but you can't really tell. I wanted to bring the orange in from the other page. The top picture is a Sissy Selfie (my sister and I call each other "Sissy") and the paper behind it is the Paper Studio Beachy Icons again. We were sitting in a small beach tent. The bottom picture is Emily's flip flops and I matted it with paper from Sending Smiles, but decided to angle the mat. I belong to a Photo A Day group on Facebook and we are given prompts each day to take a picture of and share it with the group the prompt was sun and the sun was too bright and not always visible on the beach so my sister's flip flops fit the prompt! The flip flops are sitting on a Tommy Bahama beach roll/blanket. Yes, there's a picture of a Mt Dew bottle on my layout. I'll explain why in my hidden journaling under the umbrella image. The paper behind the Mt Dew bottle is from Happy Hello Collection. No, I don't drink like a fish, but it fits with the beach theme! The Rest, Relax, Refresh stamps on both pages, Relax is on the first page is from the By the Sea set. The umbrella image is from By the Sea set and I colored it in with ColorIn Twist colored pencils and adhered it to the same striped paper from my stash. I originally glued this piece down before I added my journaling, but couldn't fit this journaling entry on my layout without hiding it. So there's still a little adhesive on the back of the paper and on my layout. I used a purple balloon brad from Eyelet Outlet to reattach the paper and flip it to see the journaling. Purple is my favorite color and it was my birthday! 

This is a close-up of the journaling- I know I should have drank water, but I wanted some caffeine & didn't know that the 50 states were on the bottles. I used to live in SC so that caught my eye. I love going to the beach on my birthday!

The next 2 pages are from my SMASH book about how I celebrated my birthday and where I'm gonna hold my cards. I didn't do this last year with my cards, it was a busy year with 2 deaths and then the birth of my nephew.

I used papers from Stamps of Life Happy Birthday collection behind the pictures. The Scotch confetti washi tape is from Staples. I used another phrase sticker- let's get the party started- from Carpe Diem sticker tablet. The top picture is of BG, my 13 month old nephew, excited to eat hush puppies. He is a happy baby except when he's tired, hungry, or needs a diaper change- typical baby. We ate at Friday's 1890 Seafood, a local seafood restaurant. I wrote the journaling with 2 Sharpies. The date stamp is from Studio Calico and I used Gina K Amalgam ink again. I wrote in the date with a Sharpie. I haven't used this rotary stamp in awhile and thought it would be perfect for this. The bottom picture is my birthday cheesecake. My mom was supposed to have a colonoscopy done on Friday, but rescheduled it due to my stepdad's surgery on Friday. He had a carotid artery blockage in his neck last year and had the blockage removed well this time it was blocked with scar tissue from the surgery last year and they put in a patch so the artery won't clog again. He's fine and will have to watch what he eats. Anyway, I knew my mom would be busy with BG- Mimi time- and preparing for her colonoscopy so I told her not to make me a cake and that I wanted a store bought cheesecake and this was perfect! I added another purple balloon brad just to hold the paper down in the corner where I didn't put down enough adhesive.

This page is for my cards and how I celebrated my birthday. I won't type out all of the journaling. I wrote down my birthday presents and how I celebrated my birthday. The paper pocket is from Recollections Funky Fresh 12 x 12 in paper pad. I folded the paper to make the pocket and glued it down with Tombow Aqua Glue pen. The spiral paper clip is from my stash. I bought the purple striped washi tape from Michaels. The stickers are from Sweet Kawaii Design Puffy Stickers. The Happy Day sticker is also from Carpe Diem Sticker Tablet. That's all I have to share today, but will have more beach and vacation pictures to share later so please become a follower! Have a great weekend!

Be sure to hop over to my friend Veronica She has something wonderful to share!

Here's our line up in case you get lost along the way.

Connie

Sandy

Amanda 

Veronica

Kim

Narelle

Nikki

EK

 Alicia

Shannon 

Sue

Rebecca Ann

Jearise

Holli

Miranda

Liz

Charlotte

I can't thank you enough for checking out my project. It means the world to me and I hope you truly enjoyed it. May it inspire you to create something wonderful!  Scrappy Hugs!

Love Sports Blog Hop

Thank you for joining us for  

The LOVE SPORTS BLOG HOP

This is a blog hop featuring projects based on sports of all kinds! Just in time for summer and Father's Day!

You should have arrived from (Cathie https://cathiesevilqueencrafting.blogspot.com/) But if not,

Connie Can Crop , is the beginning of this hop! 

This is a one day blog hop, but you have until Sunday at 10pm to finish hopping and leaving your love for all of these talented crafters.

We have two awesome sponsors for this hop!!

 The Stamp Shop is graciously donating 
this fun 6x6 paper pad by Kaiser Craft to one lucky winner.

AND

 Our very own EK has donated this

 awesome die set from Elizabeth Crafts! Thanks EK!

What do you need to do to win? Easy... become  a follower of each of the fabulous blogs in this hop and leave each of them a comment letting them know what you like best about their projects. Free Shipping to our USA friends but Worldwide will be asked to pay shipping if they win.

You will have until 10 pm Sunday to finish the hop and leave your comments on every blog to be eligible to win. 

Winners will be announced on Wednesday 6/12/19 here at Connie Can Crop.

Be sure to follow everyone and leave a comment along the way!


I decided to make a squash-fold card after watching a tutorial I found on Pinterest from Song of My Heart Stampers. The video gives step by step instructions so I'm not going to give each step. I did cut down an 8.5 x 11 piece of cardstock from my stash down to 8.5 x 8.5. The video instructs to use a score board, but I did not. I have a score tool on one of my paper trimmers that I did use to score the paper in 4 squares. I folded it diagonally without scoring it so it's off a little, but that's makes it unique.

This is the front. As you can tell I was thinking of Father's Day coming up. I used a sports memory kit photo mat for the background on the front of the card and the bottom right inside square of the card. I just cut it in half and trimmed it down on the sides to fit the paper. The baseball player sticker at the top is also from the same set. I used 2 rectangles from a rectangle nested die set from Scrapbook.com and paper from The Stamps of Life for the title and typed Happy Father's Day on my computer. I wanted to have the same font as inside the card. The ribbon is from a RAK I received from a group on Facebook. It fit well with the card since hot dogs and sometimes hamburgers are sold at baseball games.

Now for the inside. The paper in the top left square is from Recollections Baseball 12 x 12 scrapbook paper that I trimmed down to fit the cardstock and I used the same paper for the back cover of the card. The blue baseball player die cut, bat/ball stickers, and glove with ball die cuts are from a RAK from a group on Facebook. The little glove sticker is from the same baseball memory kit as the lower right corner and front cover. I typed to the best left handed hitter ever on my computer since this card is going to my stepdad and he is left-handed. I had to tie in the baseball theme. He loves baseball/softball and used to play softball until he had a stroke last year. He still loves to watch baseball and almost all sports. He's been watching the Stanley Cup Finals- hockey- and NBA Finals this past week. I hope the St Louis Blues win, but we will see if the Boston Bruins can hold on to win or not. The NBA Finals take too long to get to the end. Anyway, sorry I got off on a tangent! The next picture is what the back cover looks like. 

Please watch the tutorial that I mentioned before to get the complete instructions on how to make this card if you decide to make one. It was very easy to make. I just had a problem tying the ribbon, but that's always tricky for a lot of us. As long as I keep it tied until Father's Day it's all good! That's all I have to share today. 

Be sure to hop over to my friend (Rebecca https://makinwithbacon.blogspot.com/) to see her awesome project!

Here's our line up in case you get lost along the way.

Connie

Narelle

Julia

Holli

Rebecca Ann

Kim

Cindy

Nikki

Shannon 

Cathie

Amanda 

Rebecca

Michele

 Alicia

EK

Veronica

Be sure to join us next month for our
Adventure Awaits Blog hop!

Scrap the Girls June Challenge

The above picture was the inspiration for my layout below. It's the Nanas June Challenge with Scrap the Girls.

I chose a picture of my sister and me to scrap. The challenge is to use patterned papers that don't normally blend together. I was inspired by the colors in the picture to create my layout. Both the main patterned paper and the strip down the middle are from Recollections Backyard Table 12" x 12" Paper Pad. The title strip is from The Stamps of Life XOXO Collection and the title- Sister and the hearts is from Close to My Heart D0125 All You Need My Acrilix Clear Stamps- no longer being available- stamped with Gina K Designs Amalgam Jet Black ink and Catherine Pooler Designs Party Dress ink. I've had the stamp set since the early 2000's when a friend of mine used to sell Close To My Heart. I actually used the same heart stamp for both hearts, but moved the heart to the right end after stamping the one on the left. I love using my Tim Holtz Tonic Studios Stamp Platform where I can see how the stamp is placed- in this case with clear stamps- the paper is still held down with magnets in place if you use rubber or clear stamps. The flower at the top corner of the photo was a RAK and the photo mat is actually part of a memory file folder from Heidi Swapp Memory Files Scrapbook kit. The tag is from K&Company Abrianna Tag Pad. I wrote with a black ball point pen- 5-18-19- the date the picture was taken- Emily & I wore these t-shirts to BG's 1st Birthday Party. The theme was Mickey Mouse. We don't get a picture together that often and I wanted to get a picture of us in our somewhat matching t-shirts. TFL!

Tic Tac Toe Challenge

I made this layout for a Tic Tac Toe Challenge with Soul Scrappers. 

I chose the middle column- 2 photos, boys theme, and 3+ buttons. The paper and title is from Echo Park Magic Kingdom 12" x 12" Paper Collection. The photo mats are from Colorbok Light Bright 6" x 6" Designer Paper that I trimmed down to fit the photos. The buttons- I used 4- are from my stash. I spaced them out, but they do kind of blend in with the layout. The journaling card is from my stash. I chose the title You and Me since both pictures are of BG being held. I wrote on the journaling card that Mama was giving BG a bottle and he wanted to see what was going on. He liked Dustin's Carolina Hurricanes hat. Emily, his mom. is watching and eating birthday cake. Both pictures were taken after his 1st birthday party. I didn't want to add anything else to this layout since the paper is so busy. I will be working on more birthday layouts soon so please become a follower if you aren't already to see my future projects. TFL!

Start The Day With A Cup of Love

I made the following card following Sketch 389 from Freshly Made Sketches.

I decided to make a coffee themed card to go with the stamped image. The stamped image and sentiment are Cup of Love from Unity Stamp Company. I stamped the images with Gina K Designs Amalgam Jet Black ink and colored in the girl image with ColorIn Twist watercolor colored pencils. Both the card base and patterned paper in the middle are from Craft Smith Love U A Latte 12" x 12" scrapbook pad. The twine is Chocolate Truffle from Trendy Twine. Looking at the card now, I should have put some paper behind the stamped image so the coffee cup wouldn't look like it's coming out of her head, oh well, but that would have messed up the sketch and flow of the card.  TFL!