Friends Like You

With a headache plaguing my whole day long, I wasn't sure I would make it to the craft desk today.  But late this afternoon, it went away and I was able to get this pretty pair of flowers done for a couple of my favorite challenges.  Given it's getting late and I'm so ready to call it a night due to headaches take a lot out of me but I'm so thankful it didn't get to be migraine strong.

Taking a wee bit of artistic license, I made my poppies purple instead of the more traditional red.   I heat embossed the flowers using Gold Embossing Powder by Ranger, then watercolored them using my Liquid Watercolors from Taylored Expressions.  To a card base of Whisper White I added a layer of Gold Glitter Paper, then a layer of Gorgeous Grape and then the layer with the flowers.  The sentiment was in my stash so I added it to a layer of Gorgeous Grape cardstock.  For the finishing touch, I added some Icy Sparkle Crystals by Studio Katia.  

Here is an angled view of the card which shows some of the shimmer I added to the flowers.  It really doesn't show up very well in the photo but does look nice on the card itself.

I have linked my card up to the following challenges:

The Paper Players

Sunday Stamps

Thanks for stopping by,

Marsha

Product Used

Build-A-Flower:  Poppy Stamp Set by Altenew

Simple Strips-Friendship Stamp Set by Taylored Expressions

Jelly Donut, Lemon Meringue, Peapod Liquid Watercolor by Taylored Expressions

Gorgeous Grape, Gold Glitter Paper, Whisper White Cardstock by Stampin' Up!

Mixed Media Vellum Surface Paper by Strathmore

Simple Strips Die by Taylored Expressions

Icy Sparkle Crystals by Studio Katia

Shades of Pink Hyacinth

Today I'm playing along with the Sunday Stamps Challenge 200th challenge.  I've always enjoyed their challenge and hope it continues for many more challenges.  Here is a pretty pink hyacinth I made to celebrate the occasion.

I started with a Powder Pink card base.  To that I attached a layer of Soft Sea Foam after embossing it using the Candy Stripes Embossing Folder from Tim Holtz.  The hyacinth is one I did a while ago.  I used the Build-A-Flower:  Hyacinth stamp set and dies by Altenew.  I used foam tape to pop it up for some dimension.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set as the hyacinth.  I added some Snowball Droplets from Ellen Hutson   For the finishing touch, I added sparkle to the flower using Spectrum Noir's Sparkle Pen.  A simple but pretty Spring card.

The sketch I used is from the Sunday 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 #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

Bright Butterfly

So, between chores and cleaning and sorting and again, rearranging my craft room, I managed to sit down and make this simple but pretty butterfly card.  It's another of those I made for my "thinking of you" stash.  These days it seems that I have more family and friends who live away than close by to share a cup of coffee.  Sigh,  I think my three sons should have taken me with them when they all moved out west, don't you?  😉

Stamp Set:  Wetlands - sentiment (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Tim Holtz's Fossilized Amber Oxide and Spiced Marmalade (Ranger), Soft Suede (Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Soft Suede, Whisper White (both Stampin' Up!); Patterned Paper:  Gabrielle (Bo Bunny), Succelent Garden (Stampin' Up!); Other:  Butterflies Thinlits Dies (Stampin' Up!), Simply Stamped - Butterflies Dies (Taylored Expressions)

The theme I used is from the Retro Rubber Challenge. It's an anything goes and one of my favorite kind of theme.  But, you have to use a stamp that is a year old or older.  For this one I used the sentiment from Wetlands which is from the 2013 Annual Catalog.

The sketch I used is from the Sunday Stamps Challenge. I loved the simplicity of this sketch. I've been using up bits and pieces of things I have laying around my desk and the butterfly patterned paper was perfect to showcase that bright Calypso Coral butterfly.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Blossoms and Butterfly

The sky is blue, the sun is shining and I'm in my craft room where I combined three challenges to make this clean and simple thinking of you card.  A day doesn't get any better than this! 

Stamps:  Jar of Love (Stampin' Up!), Simply Stamped - Butterflies (Taylored Expressions); Inks: Bermuda Bay, Crushed Curry, Delightful Dijon, Pool Party, Smoky Slate (all Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Smoky Slate, Whisper White (both Stampin' Up!); Other:  Simply Stamped - Butterflies Dies (Taylored Expressions), Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies (Stampin' Up!), Everyday Jars Framelits Dies (Stampin' Up!), Sequins, Clarity Stencil Brushes

The clean and simple butterflies theme I used is from The Paper Players Challenge.   I love the Simply Stamped - Butterflies stamp set and dies from Taylored Expressions.  It has so many wonderful butterfly images from which to choose.

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

The sketch I used is from the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.  I loved the simplicity of the sketch.  I don't often use squares in my designs, but the Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies from Stampin' Up! were perfect for the square layer.

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

The colors I used are from the Sunday Stamps Challenge.  Such pretty colors for this color challenge.  I used five of the colors but two of them looked different when I printed the graphic out so they are more in the yellow family than the green family.  The Bermuda Bay, Pool Party, Delightful Dijon and Crushed Curry inks from Stampin' Up! all worked so well together.

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

Blue & White Birthday

It seems like forever since I've been able to keep up with making cards and blogging.  Sometimes life just gets in the way and puts everything else on the back burner.  But, I'm happy to say, the week is ending well and it is a most welcomed change.

What was really great, was to be back in the craft studio playing with some new things from the Holiday Catalog.  Instead of using a circle like on the card, I stamped an image from the Paisley & Posies stamp set in Distress Embossing Ink and added some of my favorite Copper Embossing Powder.  Then, I overlapped the die-cuts and stamped the sentiment on it.  The die I used is one from the Paisley Framelits Dies.  Both the Paisley & Posies stamp set and the Paisley Framelits Dies are from the new Holiday Catalog that you'll be able to order from beginning September 1st.

Stamp Sets:  Paisleys & Posies, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Inks:  Distress Embossing Ink (Tim Holtz), Vintage Photo (Tim Holtz), Night of Navy; Cardstock:  Floral Boutique Designer Series Paper, Whisper White; Other:  Copper Embossing Powder, Night of Navy Baker's Twine, Cream Pearls

The sketch I used is from the Sunday Stamps Challenge.  For all the challenge details, click the image below.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Sunday Stamps Challenge #110

Hi everyone!  Today is my last day as a Guest Designer for the Sunday Stamps Challenge.  It has been such fun to be a part of this group of talented ladies.  And, even though I won't be designing for them any more, I do still intend to participate in the challenges.  I loved the sketch for this week's challenge.  I hope you can join us this week and show us what you were inspired to create.

Stamp Sets:  Everything Eleanor, Floral Wings, Sprinkles of Life (sentiment); Inks:  Blushing Bride, Mint Macaron, Mossy Meadow, Smoky Slate; Card Stock:  Mossy Meadow, Very Vanilla; Accessories & Tools:  Pearl Basic Jewels, SNAIL Permanent Adhesive, Stampin' Dimensionals, Paper Snips, Stampin' Trimmer.  All Stampin' Up!® product unless otherwise noted.

You can find the the sketch and all the challenge details at Sunday Stamps Challenge.

The colors I used are Still Life Hues by Design Seeds.  They are a great place for lots of color inspiration.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Sunday Stamps Challenge #109

Hello, everyone!  Today is my first post as a Guest Designer for the Sunday Stamps Challenge.  I'm so excited to be a part of this great challenge for the month of September.  This challenge is all about color and I love the ones chosen.  Autumn is my favorite time of the year because the world explodes with beautiful colors and these were perfect for Fall.  Don't tell anyone but I sneaked in one more color because the trees just looked funny stamped in other than Sahara Sand.  :-)

Stamp Sets:  Butterfly Basics (background behind the trees), For All Things (sentiment), Perpetual Birthday Calendar (leaves), White Christmas (trees); Inks:  Daffodil Delight, Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie, Sahara Sand; Card Stock:  Adventure Bound Designer Series Paper Stack (retired), Cherry On Top Designer Series Paper Stack, Pumpkin Pie, Very Vanilla; Accessories & Tools:  Rhinestones, Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Trimmer.  All Stampin' Up!® products unless otherwise noted.

You can find all the challenge details at Sunday Stamps

The sketched I used is from Operation Write Home.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Sunday Christmas Card Challenges #39

"Anything Goes" is the challenge this week at Christmas Card Challenges.  It's a chance to do what you want to do and showcase that project you've had floating around in the back of your mind.  That's just what this one is for me.  When my friend, Karen, visited last month, she brought some of her stamp sets with her and she graciously left her Ornamental Pine Stamp Set with.  I'm going to be so very sad when I have to send it back to her.

Stamp Set:  Ornamental Pine; Inks:  Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive; Card Stock:  Festive Collection 6x6 Bundle (Authentique), Whisper White Thick; Accessories & Tools:  Champagne Rhinestones, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Trimmer.  All Stampin' Up!® products unless otherwise note.

Join us at Christmas Card Challenges for this week's "Anything Goes" challenge.

The sketch I used is from the current Sunday Stamps Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Sending Wishes Your Way

This card was my first attempt at the current Sunday Stamps challenge.  Unfortunately, I did a boo-boo.  The challenge is a one layer card and as you can see, mine is rather layer heavy.  So, I did a different one and posted it to their challenge site.  Whew!  I'm happy now!  It was a great sketch to showcase the flower I made from Crushed Curry and the Fun Flower Punch.  A bit of twine and a pretty button and voila! another pretty card that can be used for a birthday.  I'm always in need of birthday cards now that my months are full of seeing that each tenant gets a card.

Stamp Sets:  Butterfly Basics (sentiment); Beautiful Bunch, Gorgeous Grunge; Inks:  Blackberry Bliss, Crushed Curry, Mossy Meadow; Card Stock:  Blackberry Bliss, Crushed Curry, Lost Lagoon, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Fun Flower Punch, Lost Lagoon Thick Baker's Twine, Blackberry Bliss Button, Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, Dimensionals

The sketch is from the current Sunday Stamps Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha