Vintage Christmas Lodge

Now that Thanksgiving is almost here and I have all my cards done, it's time to get my focus back creating those cards I still need for Christmas.  This week's challenge at The Paper Players was perfect.  I pulled one of my favorite retired stamp sets off the shelf to use, Christmas Lodge.  It's been a while since I've used it but I still love that lodge image.  I also used Baked Brown Sugar, one of my favorite ink colors from days gone by.  What doesn't show up in the photo is the Clear Wink of Stella sparkly snow on the rooftop of the lodge.  I love the stuff but it just doesn't photograph well for me.

Stamp Set:  Christmas Lodge (retired); Ink:  Baked Brown Sugar (retired); Cardstock:  Baked Brown Sugar (retired), Very Vanilla; Other:  Stitched Oval Stacklets Dies (Taylored Expressions, Clear Wink of Stella Brush

The "Clean-and-Simple Christmas" theme I used is from The Paper Players Challenge.  For all the challenge details, click the image below.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercooler Wednesday Challenges #76

Summer is in full swing here in my little corner of the world.  Hot days, warm nights and dreams of cooler weather.  For this week's Clean And Simple (CAS) challenge, Penny has chosen the theme of Butterflies.  I love butterflies and I seem to have a tendency to make them all blue.  Although I used the In the Meadow stamp set for the grass and flowers, I pulled out my Perpetual Birthday Calendar stamp set and used those butterflies.

While our challenge rules state you can add one layer onto your card base, I chose to keep it a single layer card.  I love trying to come up with a simple card that looks nice but has no embellishments other than the stamp and ink you use.

At this time, I'd like to share with you our rules for the Clean And Simple (CAS) challenge we have at Watercooler Wednesday Challenges.  You can make a single layer card or you can add a single layer to your card base.  No embellishments, no embossing folders and no die-cuts are allowed.  But, you can add color by heat embossing with your favorite embossing powder.  Just take a look at all the Design Team projects to get an idea of what we expect.  Follow these rules for your Clean And Simple project and you could be our next winner!

Stamp Sets:  Butterfly Basics (sentiment), In the Meadow, Perpetual Birthday Calendar; Inks:  Dapper Denim, Pear Pizzazz, Soft Suede; Stampin' Write Markers:  Flirty Flamingo, Peekaboo Peach; Cardstock:  Whisper White

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit Watercooler Wednesday Challenges by clicking the image below.   We'd love to have you join us.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #60

My March Paper Pumpkin kit came on Monday and when I saw it I knew it would be perfect for this week's Watercooler Wednesday challenge.  It was my turn to choose the challenge and, since my birthday is this month, I decided on a Clean And Simple (CAS) birthday challenge.

The stamp set in the Paper Pumpkin kit is a really cute one.  The card is one that is shown in the instructions but I changed it just a wee bit.  I used the Happy Happy and balloon stamps but set them up further in the white square so I could added the birthday sentiment from the Endless Birthday Wishes stamp set.  It was stamped using Bermuda Bay ink.  There was also a bow made from the baker's twine on the original and added just above the flags but I chose to attach them using my mini stapler.  To finish it off I added the colored pearls that were included in the kit.  The card base is Whisper White Thick.  Since it was to be a CAS, I didn't want to use the colored card base from the kit.  I really like the way this turned out.

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit Watercooler Wednesday Challenges.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #51

Clean And Simple (CAS) with a Star is Bev's challenge for us this week at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  For my card I simply cut out three sizes of stars from the Cherry On Top Designer Series Paper Stack using the Stars Framelits Dies.  I layered them on the front of the Whisper White card base and popped up the two smaller stars with dimensionals.  The sentiment is from the Pictogram Punches stamp set and stamped using Bermuda Bay ink.  Clean and simple and so easy to make.  

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Snow Trees

Have I mentioned that I have a thing for single layer cards?  All of a sudden I'm completely enthralled with them.  I've been card making for over five years now and have just discovered single layer cards!  Now I ask you, what took me so long?

This card is stamping only and the only embellishment is the Wink of Stella Brush Clear Shimmer that I put on the snow patches on the trees and on the bottom part of the card under the trees.  I know, it doesn't show up well but it is there.

With snow in the Iowa forecast, I kind of had it on my mind.  I'm not sure how much we'll get where I live but I do know that north of here it could be up to five or six inches.  My number two son and his family will be right in the thick of it.

Be sure to stop back at 8 p.m. CST and take a tour through the Wacky Watercooler November Christmas Celebration Blog Hop.  There's a whole lot of Christmas inspiration going on!

Stamp Sets:  Happy Scenes (trees & sentiment), Perpetual Birthday Calendar (snowflakes), Wondrous Wreath (sentiment); Inks:  Basic Black Archival, Smoky Slate; Cardstock:  Whisper White Thick; Accessories & Tools:  Wink of Stella Brush Clear Shimmer

Inspiration for this CAS Christmas winter wonderland card came from The Paper Players.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Sunday Christmas Card Challenges #2

Hello and Happy Sunday, everyone!  Our challenge for this week is to make a card that is Clean And Simple (CAS).  Of course, the only real challenge is that your card be a holiday or Christmas one. Now how easy is that!  Hmmm?  I think I got a little "tilted" when I put this one together.  You know, that might be a good reason to not create in the middle of the night.  :-) 

Stamp Set:  God's Blessing (retired); Ink:  Mossy Meadow; Card Stock:  Trim the Tree Designer Series Paper Stack, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  3/8" Mossy Meadow Stitched Satin Ribbon, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

We'd love to have you join us for this week's CAS Design Challenge.  You could be a winner.  You can find all the details HERE.  Be sure to check out the other members of our Design Team.  You can find their links in the side bar on the right.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Sunday Christmas Card Challenges #44

It's an 'anything goes' challenge for us this week at Sunday Christmas Card Challenges.  You get to choose the design and the colors.  I chose a clean and simple (CAS) design for this one.  I also used one of my favorite techniques.  I attached my squares of paper, stamped the sentiment, then used an embossing folder to dot up the whole layer.  I used one of my favorite retired stamp sets for the sentiment.

Stamp Set:  Heard from the Heart (retired); Ink:  Cherry Cobbler; Card Stock:  Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White, Trim the Tree; Accessories & Tools:  1" Square Punch, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Trimmer, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

You can find the details for the Sunday Christmas Card Challenges HERE.  We do hope you will join in and share your projects with us.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercooler Challenge #7

It's a sketch challenge this time at the Watercooler Challenges.  I decided to keep my card very Clean and Simple (CAS).  I stayed with mostly greens except for the wee bit of yellow and white.  As you may be able to tell, I've still not changed the bulb in my photo lamp.  Guess I really need to get that done.

We'd love to have you join us in this week's challenge.  Just click on the sketch below to go right on over to the Watercooler Challenges blog for all the details.

 
Stamp Sets:  Kinda Eclectic, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Inks:  Pistachio Pudding, Mossy Meadow; Card Stock:  Pistachio Pudding, Mossy Meadow, Whisper White, All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack; Accessories & Tools:  Curly Label Punch, Petite Curly Label Punch, SNAIL Adhesive, Dimensionals

You can find the Watercooler Challenges sketch HERE.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

It's a Work of Art

Have I ever told you how much I love challenges?  Well, I do.  They are a wonderful way to keep up on my card making.  This is the first year I've kept on top of all the birthdays, anniversaries and all the other days that require a card.  For today I'm again combining a couple of challenges, a color challenge from Fab Friday and a sketch challenge from CAS(E) this Sketch.

Stamp Set:  Work of Art (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Summer Starfruit, Smokey Slate, Crisp Cantaloupe, Early Espresso (Stampin' Up!); Card Stock:  Whisper White (Stampin' Up!); Accessories & Tools:  Gold Sequin Trim, Crystal Effects (Stampin' Up!)

You can find the Fab Friday Color Challenge HERE.

The CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge can be found HERE.

Two great challenges, one clean and simple card.  I totally love the look of this one.  I wasn't sure of the colors but I think they look so well together.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Celebrate Freedom!

When I saw this stamp set from Taylored Expressions, I knew I had to have it.  I have been working on an album honoring my oldest brother and it is a perfect fit for adding some dimension to the album.  For today, I made a CAS card simply to celebrate the 4th of July.  The die of the United States came with the Stars & Stripes stamp set.  I love it!  I live in a great country and am blessed to have the freedoms that I do.

Stamp Set: Stars & Stripes (Taylored Expressions); Ink:  Cherry Cobbler, Midnight Muse (Stampin' Up!); Cars Stock:  Cherry Cobbler, Midnight Muse, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!); Accessories & Tools:  Stars & Stripes Die (Taylored Expressions), Stampin' Dimensionals, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

May you all have a blessed and safe holiday.