Friday, December 30, 2022

The Best of 2022~

Hi guys!
I always love doing an end of the year post
of the Best (or my favorites) of 2022.  I determine
this by my social media stats.  It always funny
some project will do well on Face book and not
and Instagram. 
But anyway here goes~
Best of 2022


Art journal page using my hand carved stamps. 
other: Darkroom Door, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L
 

I loved creating this card ~still love this card.
other: Blue Knight Rubber Stamps, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.
Ranger/Distress Oxide ink.


These were so fun and I loved the mixed media feel to 
them.

other: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Darkroom Door, Simple 
Stories, Ranger/Distress Oxide ink.



This card did very well on page views. Love when that happens.
other: Darkroom Door, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Ranger/
Distress Oxide ink.


This card had lots of love, had to be the dog in truck
bed:):)
other: Blue Knight Rubber Stamps, Panpastels, Scrapbook
Adhesives by 3L.


This one was so fun to create!! Love the elephant stamps!
other: Topflight Stamps, KatzelKraft, Panpastels, 
Ranger/Distress Oxide ink, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.


This one was really loved ~ I think the moose did it!
other: Blue Knight Rubber Stamps, Panpastels, Ranger/
Distress Oxide ink & Archival ink, Scrapbook Adhesives
 by 3L.


Loved playing with the Collage Sheets on an Art Journal 
page.
other: Darkroom Door, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Ranger ink


Created for the trade show. ***Winner*** highest page
count.
other: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Simple Stories.


Love doing these challenges. Makes me think outside the
box.

other: Darkroom Door, Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, Tim Holtz/
paper dolls, Ranger ink.


Funny I'm ending with a scrapbook page ~that is where I
started this journey 13 years ago with a scrapbook page.
Full circle.

other: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L, PhotoPlay Paper.
********
Can't close without sharing one more time "a way
cool" opportunity! If you purchased any of the 

One Line Sentiments (7 sets)
 Thank You!!!
and thank you Blue Knight Rubber Stamps/Lynn & Scott.

 I will be sharing more 
ideas on how to use them in 2023.


Thanks for stopping by and
I will see you right here in 
2023.
Connie


Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Creating a new space~

Hi guys!
I'm in a cleaning and re-arranging mood.  I have been
feeling crowded and no room to expand when I create.
So... I fixed that last night.


This is a vintage hospital examining table for a baby.  It is now
my die cutting station.  Waiting on a new machine to 
arrive.   I tell you all about as soon as it comes!
I love to re-arrange and make a room look different
 and fresh!
So back at it! 
Have a great day!

Best of 2022 coming !
Connie 

Friday, December 23, 2022

Merry Chistmas and Happy Holidays!!!

Hi guys!!
Just wanted to pop on and say
Merry Christmas and Happy  Holidays
to all.  Thank you for the blog support
this year and I appreciate all the love!


{these are little mini trees that I have made in past years.  i wanted 
to create a new one every year, but that hasn't happened.}
so I hope you enjoy these!
See ya soon with the 
Best of 2022 blog post
coming December 31, 2022
Connie

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Resting Fox by Blue Knight Rubber Stamps~

 Hi!
For my last Winter themed card for Blue Knight
Rubber Stamps
I will be creating with Resting
Fox. 
Love this stamp. Really is a cute one!


The card front is colored with panpastels.  I used a little from all
three sets that Blue Knight carry.  The Sunrise & Sunset, Night &
Day
and Pastel set..



I also used the Birds ll set and One Line Sentiments/blessings. I used
a white marker for highlights. 
All adhesive is by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.


All four Winter cards for the month of December!

Thanks for stopping by!
Connie/ DT Member

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

A Christmas Tag With A Jillian Vance Design~

 Hi!
This is my final project for A Jillian Vance Design.  I have
enjoyed guest designing and creating with their dies
and stamps. 
 I'm using the Classic Candle Die, But First
Coffee
, Simply Said: Coffee & Jesus, Light of Christmas
and the Diamond Plate Stencil to create a mixed media
Christmas tag. 


The background is distress oxide inks (brown tones) and the 
Diamond Plate Stencil. All of the embellishment pieces are
die cut out and distressed with acrylic white paint.  The coffee stains
are randomly stamped on the tag front using distress oxide ink.


The die cut embellishments are arranged on the tag front
and adhered. The coffee cup is from the Simply Said: 
Coffee & Jesus
set. The flower is masked off so the
cup stamps plain, with no design.  The word "Joy" is
stamped in the center.  The words and sentiment are from
the Light of Christmas Stamp set. A fabric strip
and twine are added to the top of the tag.
All adhesive is by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.


My December projects!
Thanks for stopping by!
Connie

Monday, December 19, 2022

A Wonderful Winter Card with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L~

Hi!!
Today I'm sharing a Wonderful Winter card using some 
wonderful adhesive by Scrapbook Adhesive by 3L and
some wonderful stamps by KatzelKraft. I have all
the details over on the Scrapbook Adhesive by 3L Blog.


This is a fun card to create, and so much personality expressed!!
I'm using panpastels, colored pencils, acrylic white paint and ink.
Always fun to mix it up!


The 3D Foam Adhesive gives just the right amount of dimension.
Love how it really makes the main image pop of the page.
Check it out here.


Thanks for stopping by~
Connie

Creative Time: 45 minutes
Skill Level: Beginner

Materials Needed:
Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®

EZ Runner Permanent Strips Refillable Dispenser
EZ Runner Permanent Strips Refill
3D Foam Circles White Mix3D Squares White Mix and 3D Foam Strips
Crafty Foam Tape 108′
other: stamps: KatzelKraft, ink: Ranger, panpastels, colored pencils and white acrylic paint

Pin It!!


Thursday, December 15, 2022

Ski Lodge by Blue Knight Rubber Stamps~

 Hi!
For the month of December I will be sharing 
Winter themed cards using Blue Knight Rubber
Stamps.
  For my third card this month I will be
creating with  Ski Lodge. Such a cool stamp!!!


I used  the Day & Night panpastels to color the sky and the Ski
Lodge.  The Sun is colored with the Sunrise & Sunset panpastels.
A circle mask & stencil were used to create the Sun. The card is
distressed with acrylic white paint.  The paint also gives a snowy
effect on the jeep.



I also used the Daring Adventure set (jeep) & NEW dies.  The
sentiment is from the One Line Sentiment/blessings. The
bird is from the Birds ll set. 
All adhesive is by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.

Thanks for stopping by!
Connie/DT Member


Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Mini Marks by Darkroom Door~ two cards!

Hi!
I have two cards to share using the NEW
Mini Marks set by Darkroom Door.  Such a great set.
Good job Zoe!!!!


I originally created an art journal page using these stamps
but they make a really fun and easy card set.
 Let me show you~


Using the Small Boxes 6 Up stencil to lay down the color and
then I stamped over with Boxes 6 Up stamp to get the 
grid in place.  The Mini Marks were stamped in each square using
Distress Oxide inks.  The sentiments are from the NEW You Matter
sentiments strip
and they are embossed on black cardstock
 with white embossing powder. The silhouette butterflies are from the 
Take Flight small stamp.  The Mini Marks are also stamped in
Archival Black ink to highlight the squares. 
All adhesives are by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.

Thanks for stopping by!
Connie Mercer/Contributing Artist

Monday, December 12, 2022

Mini Marks Stamp Set by Darkroom Door~

Hi!
Introducing a NEW mixed media set by Darkroom Door
called Mini Marks.  This set is designed by  Rachels
daughter Zoe and it is fabulous and so is she I got to meet her
 a couple of years back.  


My inspiration for this was to use the
Mini Marks to enhance art journal images or
collage images. 


I created a background using the large circles stencil and some 
ink sprays. Easy!  Then I added in some Distress Oxide inks
for more color. Then the ladies from the Elegant  ladies Collage sheets.
Then I added the Mini Marks in random places. I also used the Butterfly,
Stitched Borders, Faded Circles, Number Medley
and Small
Sketched Alphabet. 



I also paired the NEW You Matter Sentiments to the
collage ladies.  So fun!!! The sentiments are embossed and
 then added to a lady. The Butterfly is stamped directly on to the art
journal page and the "you" words added to the center.
All adhesive is by Scrapbook Adhesive by 3L.

Thanks for stopping by!!
There is more to come~
Connie/Contributing Artist

Saturday, December 10, 2022

Stamp Carving Designs~

Hi guys!
Just a quick post to share my journey
with stamp carving.  I have done a few the
last couple of nights and it is always fun to me.
I wish I was better at it but practice will help:):)


I plan to use these on art journal pages either stamping
directly or using my stamped samples as I have done in the
past.


Here is another on, 1" x 1". I like to make matching patterns with
these kind of carved stamps.  Just turn them different ways to
get a different pattern.


This is a fun one. When you turn it, the diamond is either tall
or wide.  Every year in December Julie Fei-Fan Balzer does
an event called #carvedecember2022 over on Instagram. 
You can find her @balzerdesigns.  If you follow the hashtag you will 
see some amazing hand carved stamps.  Very talented people. 
You can find me @crafty_mercer

Thanks for stopping by~
Connie /wanna be stamp carver:):)

Thursday, December 8, 2022

One Line Sentiments/blessings by Blue Knight Rubber Stamps ~

 Hi!
My second card for the month December, keeping with
the Winter Theme, is using the One Line Sentiments/blessings.
and the Silhouette Pines by Blue Knight Rubber Stamps.


The background is put in with panpastels and then the pine trees
are stamped in using Archival/Liberty Green ink. The 
tree trunks are highlighted with Archival/Potting Soil ink.
I just hit it with the edge of the ink pad.  


The deer are stamped on the snow using a stamping platform,
making it easy to re-stamp if needed.  The stamp used is Buck, Doe & Fawn.
The sentiment is One Line Sentiments/blessings.  The bird is from the
Birds ll set.  The card edges are distressed with white acrylic paint and
then speckle (using an old toothbrush). 
All adhesive is by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.

Thanks for stopping by~
Connie/DT Member

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

A Hanukkah Card with A Jillian Vance Design~

 Hi!
I'm guest designing for A Jillian Vance Design for the
month of December.  I'm creating with the Classic Candle
 Die.
  This is a mixed media card with a twist.


I have a tutorial on the A Jillian Vance Design Blog.
It is a step by step, so easy to follow.  The Classic Candle
Die
comes with lots of cute embellishments.  I cut the end
off the candle and made it a package. 


The card background is created with the Diamond Plate Stencil
 and distress oxide inks.  The sentiment is from the Light of
Christmas Stamp set.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you take a look
at the project on the A Jillian Vance Design Blog.
All adhesive used is by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.

Connie

Monday, December 5, 2022

Three Tags using You Matter by Darkroom Door~

Hi!
I have three tags to share using the NEW You Matter
Sentiment stamp by Darkroom Door.  It is lovely!!
You need this. The words are so perfect!!! 


I love these so much and enjoyed adding them to 
my projects!!!


I created a mixed media background for each ***pink tag***.  Yes, pink!!!
I'm an outside the box thinker here!!  Actually, it was what I had on hand.
I used Distress Oxide inks and the Sm. Brick Wall stencil and then
stamped randomly, using the Number Medley set and the NEW Mini Marks
 set.  The Sketchy Stars, Butterfly, Robin and Sitting Cat were
stamped with Archival black ink on white cardstock and trimmed out.
They are attached to the tag front with 3D Foam Adhesive Squares.
The sentiments are from the NEW You Matter Sentiments, embossed and
added to the center of the focal images.  Twine and material strips are added
to the tag hole. All adhesive is by Scrapbook Adhesive by 3L.
So cute and will look great on a package or homemade goody!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Connie/Contributing Artist

Saturday, December 3, 2022

A Fancy Card Border with Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L~

Hi! Today I'm sharing a Christmas card using the 
Creative Photo Corners by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L. 
Easy and fun!!! I have all the details on the 
Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L Blog here.


This fun border can be created on any card. The Creative Photo Corners come in
six different colors and Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L also have a polypropylene 
version in clear and black.  So tons of creative fun right there!!



Thanks for stopping by!
Connie/DT Member

Creative Time: 45 minutes
Skill Level: intermediate

Materials Needed:
Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®
E-Z Runner Permanent Strips Refillable Dispenser
E-Z Runner Permanent Strips Refill
3D Foam Strips
3D Foam Squares White Mix
Crafty Foam Tape White 108′
Crafty Foam Tape Black 108′
Creative Photo Corners Silver

HomeHobby by 3L®
Extreme Double-Sided Tape 1/4″

other: stamps: Indigo Blu, Darkroom Door and Lavinia. Ink: Ranger, Wow embossing powder. acrylic white paint.

Pin It!!


Thursday, December 1, 2022

Chickadee with Blue Knight Rubber Stamps~

Hi!
For the month of December the DT over at Blue Knight Rubber
 Stamps
will be sharing cards with a Winter Theme.  I'm
working with Chickadee.  I gave the sky a winter look using
Panpastels.


The background for the card is the Dictionary Page
 background stamp.  It is a great stamp!!  The moon is
put in with a stencil and then erased out.  Easy to do and a
great look.  Highlights are added using a paint brush
and white acrylic paint.


The sentiment is embossed, with white embossing powder, and
adhered to the front of the card,  The sentiment is from the
 One Line Sentiments/blessings. 
All adhesive is by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.

Thanks for stopping by~
Connie/DT Member




Monday, November 28, 2022

Sunflowers by Darkroom Door~ An Art Journal Page.

Hi!
I'm showcasing my last project from the NEW RELEASE
by Darkroom Door.  This set is called Sunflowers!
So pretty!!  Great for cards too.



These are big images and that makes them perfect for an art 
journal page. Let me show you~

The background is created with watered down Distress Oxide inks.
The stencil is added next for the brick wall. I stamped the Sunflowers
in random spots doing one big one and four smaller ones.  I
stamped a large and small Sunflower and colored them with Distress
Oxide inks and then trimmed out.  Those were placed over two of
the stamped Sunflowers adding dimension to the page. 


The NEW Mini Marks are added along with numbers from
 the Number Medley set.  The Elegant Ladies Collage Sheets
were added (just pieces) in random spots.  The sentiment is from
the Sunflower set and is embossed on black cardstock and
added to the journal page.  The last thing I did was speckle the
page with white acrylic paint (using an old toothbrush). 
I just realized the four products that I got to work with go
so well together.  That is great designing Rachel!!!

All adhesive is by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.

Thanks for stopping by!
Connie/Contributing Artist

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Silhouette Stag with Blue Knight Rubber Stamps~

 Hi!
Here is my 4th Christmas card for Blue Knight
Rubber Stamps
.  I'm using the Silhouette Stag to 
create this quick and simple card.


The background is the Checkered stencil by Darkroom Door . The 
Silhouette Stag is masked of with a circle stencil, then the sunset is
put in with panpastels.  The image is stamped with Archival/Library Green.
Such a great color for this card.  The sentiment is from the 
Christmas Koala set.
 All adhesive used is by Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L.



All of my November Christmas cards!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thanks for stopping by!
Connie/DT member