Llama Birthday

So, what do you do when you wake up early?  I usually grab a book and read while the house is still quiet but this morning it was a make a card morning.  I had such fun making this cute llama birthday card.

To add more texture, I used the Bubbles Embossing Folder on the layer of Blushing Bride and the Subtles Embossing Folder on the banners cut from Shaded Spruce.  For the party hat, I stamped the hat image on some Shaded Spruce cardstock, then on some Soft Sea Foam cardstock.  I fussy cut the part of the darker hat and added the pieces to the lighter layer.  For the finishing touch, I used a Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen to add some shimmer to the hat but it doesn't show up well in the photo. 

Isn't that llama just the cutest!  I used my Prismacolor Colored Pencils to color it.  Yes, there is a white pencil.  

I've entered my card into the following challenges.  For all the challenge details, click the image below.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marsha

Products Used

Look Who's Talking stamp set and Look Who's Talking Dies from Taylored Expressions

Shaded Spruce ink from Stampin' Up!

Oreo Premium Hybrid ink from Taylored Expressions

Blushing Bride, Shaded Spruce and Soft Sea Foam cardstock from Stampin' Up!

Modern Label Punch from Stampin' Up!

Icy Sparkle Crystals by Studio Katia

Bubbles Embossing Folder from Taylored Expressions

Subtles Embossing Folder from Stampin' Up!

Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen

Just For You

Well, there is nothing like making a card for a couple of challenges, then thinking you have linked it up to those challenges and realizing you haven't.  So, it's going to be a short post today as challenges are closing soon.

I think it was probably the snow that fell on us yesterday.  We got a couple of inches here in the valley and now the Sierra Nevada Mountins surrounding us are covered with snow again.  It's beautiful against the blue sky and the sunshine.

In looking through my cards, I saw that I need to replenish my supply of thinking of your cards for the guys in my life.  I think this one will do nicely. 

The sketch I used is from the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge.  For all the challenge details, click the image below.

The colors I used are from the Color Throwdown Challenge.  For all the challenge details, click the image below.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marsha

Products Used

Altenew's Gradient Sunset Stamp Set

Stampin' Up! Inks in Melon Mambo, Cookie Monster and Crumb Cake

Stampin' Up! cardstock in Crumb Cake and Whisper White

Altenew's Gradient Sunset Dies

Happy Valentine's Day

Today I'm sharing a card I made for the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge and The Color Throwdown Challenge.  As you can see I flipped the sketch so that my row of hearts was at the bottom and my sentiments were at the top.  The colors made for a great guy card.

Stamp(s):  Mini Strips - Valentine (Taylored Expressions)
Ink(s):  Jet Black (Altenew)
Cardstock:  Gray Granite, Basic Gray, Real Red, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)
Dies:  Mini Strips - Asymmetrical Die (Taylored Expressions); Staggered Heart Border

(My Favorite Things)
Other:  Square Lattice Embossing Folder (Stampin' Up!)

Spectrum Noir Sparkle Brush

The sketch I used is from the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge.  For all the challenge details, click the image below.

The colors I used are from the Color Throwdown Challenge.  For all the challenge details, click the image below.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marsha

A Big Hug

Today I'm sharing a card I made for another couple of challenges.  The CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge and The Color Throwdown Challenge.  It's been a while since I've been able to play along with them and the sketch and colors combined together beautifully.

Stamp Set(s):  Leaf Canopy (Altenew); Simple Strips Background (Taylored Expressions)

Ink(s):  Gorgeous Grape, Highland Heather (Stampin' Up!); Jet Black (Altenew)

Cardstock:  Whisper White (Stampin' Up!)

Patterned Paper:  Perennial Essence Specialty Designer Series Paper (Stampin' Up!)

Dies:  Simple Strips Die (Taylored Expressions)

Other:  Jelly Donut Enamel Dots (Taylored Expressions); Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pen

The sketch I used is from the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge.  For all the challenge details, click the image below.

The colors I used are from The Color Throwdown Challenge.  For all the challenge details, click the image below.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #269

This week we have a great sketch for the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge.  I'm sad to say that this is my last post as a member of the Design Team.  For various reasons, I need to step down and focus my energies elsewhere.  I'm going to miss being a part of the team.

Stamp Sets:  Jar of Love (Stampin' Up!), Stitched Stems Stamp & Die Combo - sentiment (Taylored Expressions

Inks:  Chocolate Truffle, Confetti Cake, Cookie Monster, Lime Zest (Taylored Expressions), Sweet Sugarplum, Blackberry Bliss (Stampin' Up!)

Cardstock:  Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions)

Dies:  Everyday Jars Framelits Dies (Stampin' Up!)

Other:  Sequins, Pearl Basic Jewels

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, April 30th at 6:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches #268

This week we have another great color challenge at the CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some awesome inspiration to get you started.  So, show us what you can do with these wonderful colors.

Well, Spring left us this past weekend and winter dumped a bunch snow all over us.  If you're like me, you are probably wondering when Spring is going to get here to stay.  The best way I know to combat winter's return is to make a card full of pretty flowers.  This one is very clean and simple.  I had this scrap of white so I used the challenge colors to stamp some pretty flowers and make a wee bit of my own patterned paper.  I wanted to add some leaves but green wasn't allowed this time.    

Stamp Set:  Bloomin' Birthday Stamp & Die Combo (Taylored Expressions)

Inks:  Daffodil Delight, Flirty Flamingo, Pool Party (Stampin' Up!)

Cardstock:  Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions)

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, April 23rd at 6:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #267

This week we have a great sketch for the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge.  The Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.  So, show us what you can do with these great colors.

The other day I watched a video by Taylored Expressions and Taylor had created this beautiful flowered background using three of her new inks.  So, I just had to CASE it.  To fill in the white spaces after the flowers and leaves were stamped, I used a stylus.  That's the little trick I learned from Taylor. 

Stamp Sets:  Bloomin' Birthday (Taylored Expressions), Maymay's Two Lips - sentiment (Maymay Made It); Inks:  Guava, Confetti Cake, Lime Zest, Strawberry Milkshake, Lemon Meringue (all Taylored Expressions); Cardstock:  Oreo, Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions); Other:  White Embossing Powder

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, April 16th at 6:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #266

This week we have a wonderful color challenge at the CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.  So, show us what you can do with these great colors.

With Spring having sprung and all the pretty flowers not far away, I thought a butterfly would be a great way to use these colors.  While it isn't showing well, the layer behind the vellum butterfly is Rich Razzleberry.  A wee bit is peeking out just at the top edge of the butterfly.  

Stamp Sets:  Simply Stamped - Butterflies -sentiment (Taylored Expressions), Timeless Textures (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Calypso Coral, Rich Razzleberry; Cardstock:  Calypso Coral, Rich Razzleberry, Sugar Cube, Vellum; Dies:  Bold Butterfly Framelits Dies, Butterflies Thinlits Dies (both Stampin' Up!); Other:  Rhinestone Basic Jewels

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, April 9th at 6:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #265

This week we have a great sketch challenge at the CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.  It's a wonderfully simple sketch that packs a punch when you use bright colors such as I did.  It really makes me glad Spring is here and the weather can only get better going forward.

Stamp Sets:  Gran's Garden (Papertrey Ink), Mandy's Tulips - sentiment (Maymay Made It); Inks:  Pea Pod, Plum Punch, Poppy Seed, Strawberry Milkshake (all Taylored Expressions); Cardstock:  Cookie Monster, Sugar Cube (both Taylored Expressions); Dies:  Gran's Garden Dies (Papertrey Ink), Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies (Stampin' Up!); Other:  Clear Wink of Stella Brush

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, April 2nd at 6:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #264

This week we have a great color challenge at the CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.  For my project, I kept it very clean and simple.  Everything but the flower is stamped on the card base.  The flower was stamped separately then, cut from the die that coordinates with the Corner Adorner:  February stamp set from Papertrey Ink.  

Stamp Set:  Corner Adorner:  February (Papertrey Ink); Inks:  Bermuda Bay, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red (all Stampin' Up!), Poppy Seed (Taylored Expressions); Dies:  Corner Adorner: February Dies (Papertrey Ink)

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, March 19th at 6:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #263

This week we have a great sketch challenge at the CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.  I needed a thank you card so I brought out the So Very Much stamp set and made this bright, cheerful thank you card.  I like having these larger stamps that you can make the focal point of your design.

Stamp Set:  So Very Much (Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Cookie Monster (Taylored Expressions); Cardstock:  Cookie Monster (Taylored Expressions), Whisper White (Stampin' Up!); Patterned Paper:  Rainbow Brights 6x6 Paper Pack (Taylored Expressions); Other:  Cookie Monster Enamel Dots (Taylored Expressions)

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, March 19th at 6:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches #262

This week we have a color challenge at the CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.  For my project, I did a z-fold card.  It's a new one to me and I really had fun making it.  The colors were an interesting mix and no matter what I did, the combinations I used were not working for me.  Finally, I came up with this design and I must say, I really rather like it.  Dawn Griffith inspired me to create this card.  You can see her tutorial HERE.

Stamp Sets:  Background Bits, Butterfly Basics, Jar of Love, Sunshine Sayings (all Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Crushed Curry (Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Fresh Fig, Whisper White (both Stampin' Up!); Patterned Paper:  Eastern Palace Specialty Designer Series Paper (Stampin' Up!); Dies:  Lots of Labels Framelits Dies (Stampin' Up!); Other:  Rhinestone Basic Jewels (Stampin' Up!)

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, March 5th at 6:00 p.m. Central Standard Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches #261

This week we have a sketch challenge at the CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.  I finally had the chance to play with the Party Pandas stamp set and I must say I love it.  Those are the cutest little critters.  With the threat of more rain and snow this week, I needed to make a bright and cheerful card.  This little fella fits the bill.

Stamp Set:  Party Pandas (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Basic Black Archival, Melon Mambo (both Stampin' Up!); Cardstock: Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions); Patterned Paper:  Rainbow Brights 6x6 Paper Pack (Taylored Expressions); Dies:  Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies (Stampin' Up!); Other:  Sequins

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, March 5th at 6:00 p.m. Central Standard Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #260

This week we have a color challenge at the CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.  It's a beautiful winter's day here in sunny Iowa with temperatures in the 50s.  Don't get too excited, though, come tomorrow the rain and snow and ice are back and power could be iffy at times.  Sigh... is it spring, yet?

The colors for our current challenge had me stumped.  How was I ever going to put them together?  Here's what I did.  I started with a Sugar Cube card base.  For the Sweet Sugarplum, I cut a stitched rectangle out of the Succulent Garden patterned paper.  To that I added a strip of Marina Mist cardstock and added a strip of the Myths & Magic Specialty Washi Tape.  The sentiment is from the Apron of Love stamp set and stamped using Poppy Seed ink.  For the flower, I stamped it from the Amazing You stamp set in Peekaboo Peach ink onto a piece of Peekaboo Peach cardstock and fussy cut the flower.  For the finishing touch, I added a Glitter Gem.

Stamp Sets:  Amazing You, Apron of Love (both Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Peekaboo Peach (Stampin' Up!), Poppy Seed (Taylored Expressions); Cardstock:  Marina Mist, Peekaboo Peach (both Stampin' Up!), Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions); Dies:  Stitched Rectangle Stacklets Dies (Taylored Expressions); Patterned Paper:  Succulent Garden Designer Series Paper - retired (Stampin' Up!); Other:  Myths & Magic Specialty Washi Tape, Glitter Gem

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, February 26th 6:00 p.m. Central Standard Time to link up your project.

I've also entered my card in the Sundays Stamps Challenge.  For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #259

This week we have a sketch challenge CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.  As you can see, rather than place my sentiment at the lower right, I put it on the tag.  I wanted to keep it as clean and simple as I could.  What you can't see in the photo are the two strips of sparkly washi tape on each end.  It just does not want to photograph well.  And, on top of that my digital camera is no longer working.  I used my new cell phone and it didn't do a very good job.

Stamp Set:  Colorful Seasons - sentiment (Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Dapper Denim (Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions); Other:  Tags, Scallop Combo #2 (Sizzix), 1/4" White Ribbon, Myths & Magic Specialty Washi Tape (Stampin' Up!)

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, February 19th at 6:00 p.m. Central Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #258

It's time for a color challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.  By the time you read this, I'll be covered in snow so I thought I'd like to make some pretty flowers to help me forget that's it still winter.

Stamp Set:  Stitched Stems Stamp & Die Combo (Taylored Expressions); Inks:  Poppy Seed (Taylored Expressions), Wild Wasabi (Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Berry Burst and Powder Pink (Stampin' Up!), Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions); Dies:  Stitched Stems Stamp & Die Combo (Taylored Expressions), Square Lattice - retired (Stampin' Up!), Rhinestone Basic Jewels

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, January 12th at 6:00 p.m. Central Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #257

Fun!  Fun!  Fun!  It's the fifth Tuesday of the month so we have a double challenge for you at CAS Colours & Sketches.  It's where we combine colors and a sketch.  Be sure to visit the blog to see the Design Team's wonderful inspiration.

As you can see I've made the one layer bigger than in the sketch.  It was kind of unintentional but I stayed with it as I've been ill for the past several days and my poor brain was not processing anything well.  I did mange to use the right colors for the inks I used but I think the flowers are a bit different than the actual Coastal Cabana color.  Sigh...

It was fun to bring out the Clarity Brushes again as I've not used them in a while.  I layered the Coastal Cabana, Peekaboo Peach (in place of the Apricot Appeal) and Certainly Celery (I had the Stampin' Write Marker) inks to make my background.  I embossed that with the Splatter Embossing Folder from Taylored Expressions.  The sentiment was stamped using Coastal Cabana.  The flowers were punched using the Petite Petals Punch.  I added a pearl to the center of each flower.

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, February 5th at 5:00 p.m. Central Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #256

It's sketch week at CAS Colours & Sketches and the Design Team has some wonderful inspiration to get you started.

It took a bit of thinking to decide how I wanted to use the sketch.  I tend to forget that you don't necessarily have to punch or die-cut the shapes that are part of the sketch.  You can actually just stamp them.  What a revelation! ☺

To a Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions) card base I added a layer of Cookie Monster (Taylored Expressions) cardstock .  Then, I stamped the sun from the retired Kinda Eclectic stamp set by Stampin' Up! onto Sugar Cube cardstock using Lemon Meringue ink (Taylored Expressions) and added it to the layer of Cookie Monster cardstock.

On a scrap of Sugar Cube, I stamped the sentiment from Sunshine Sayings (Stampin' Up!) using Tuxedo Black Memento ink.  I popped it up using Scotch Foam Tape.  The word sunshine was cut from a piece of Basic Black (Stampin' Up!) cardstock using the Sunshine Wishes Dies by Stampin' Up!  I attached it to the card using Tombow Multipurpose Glue.  For the finishing touch, I added Cookie Monster Enamel Dots (Taylored Expressions).   

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, January 22nd at 5:00 p.m. Central Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #255

This week at CAS Colours & Sketches we have a color challenge for you.  My sister has a birthday next month and she loves purple.  Perfect Plum and Wisteria Wonder fall into that color family and I used the Soft Sky as my accent.

The apron was die cut using the Apron Builder Framelits Dies from Stampin' Up!  The trim and ties are also part of the die set.  I stamped the sentiment from the Another Year Older stamp set by Taylored Expressions using Perfect Plum ink.  The layer under the apron was embossed using the retired Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder from Stampin' Up!  The card base and embossed layer are Sugar Cube.

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, January 22nd at 5:00 p.m. Central Time to link up your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge #254

Hello!  It's time for the first CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge of the new year.  I loved the clean and simple look of this sketch and knew it would make a cute slider card for one of my grandchildren.

I've been staying away from making slider cards as I mail most of the cards I made and using pennies or washers just added too much weight to the envelope.  But, that dilemma has been solved.  On the Right Track Discs are light weight plastic discs that make slider cards a breeze.  Here is the fun one I made using the Party Hat Dies from Taylored Expressions.   

Stamp Sets:  Perfect Pairings, Timeless Treasures; Inks:  Daffodil Delight, Basic Black Archival; Cardstock:  Berry Burst, Lemon Lime Twist, Sugar Cube; Patterned Paper:  Rainbow Brights 6x6 Paper Pad (Taylored Expressions); Dies:  On the Right Track - Basics Dies (Taylored Expressions), Party Hat Dies (Taylored Expressions); Other:  Clear Wink of Stella Brush, On the Right Track Discs

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha