The Friday Mashup Challenge 226

You know, trying a new technique can be fun!  The Friday Mashup has a great challenge and one of the options was to use the Inlaid Die Cutting Technique as part of your project, if you chose to do so.  I decided to try to mashup it up and used the sketch and the technique.  I've never done the Inlaid Die Cutting Technique so thought it might be fun to give it a try.  It's funny how you get to working and all of a sudden you realize you forgot to use one of the components such as the sketch in this case.  :-)  I improvised so I hope it kind of fulfills the sketch part of the challenge.

The card is destined for Reno, Nevada where my youngest son and his family are now located.  They moved in August and have just gotten into their new home.  I thought it would be fun to make a "happy new home" card to send to them.  I sure do miss them and can't wait until I get a chance to go for a visit.  I love it out west! 

Stamp Sets:  Garden Shed - sentiment (Taylored Expressions), Holiday Home, Sprinkles of Life; Inks:  Cajun Craze, Calypso Coral, Crushed Curry, Night of Navy, Real Red, Soft Sky, Smoky Slate, Wild Wasabi; Cardstock:  Night of Navy, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla, Whisper White, Wild Wasabi; Accessories & Tools:  Circles Collection Framelits Dies, Homemade Holiday Framelits Dies (retired), Project Life Cards & Labels Framelits Dies, Cupcake Builder Punch, Hills Dies (Your Next Stamp), Rhinestone Basic Jewels, 5/8" Night of Navy Grosgrain Ribbon (retired), Glue Dots, SNAIL Permanent Adhesive, Dimensionals, Stampin' Trimmer, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine.  All Stampin' Up!® product unless otherwise noted.

The sketch and the inlaid die cutting technique I used are from the current Friday Mashup Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

The Friday Mashup Challenge # 205

Well, that was an interesting experience!  Our Friday Mashup challenge this week is a sketch or the Bouncing Brayer Technique or you can mash them up and do both.  This is another technique I've not done before.  Let's just say my craft studio is a lovely color of Mossy Meadow!  Not really, but my fingers sure took on a different hue.  It was actually fun and I'm sure I'll use it again.  I do like the look you get with it and I've seen many ways of achieving the look.  I did kind of follow the sketch but, as you can see, changed it up a bit.  In all honesty, I was so focused on the technique that I nearly forgot about the sketch and had the card nearly done before realizing I was getting a bit off from the sketch.

 
Stamp Sets:  Flower Shop, Kinda Eclectic, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Inks:  Blackberry Bliss, Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe, Mossy Meadow, Tuxedo Black Memento; Card Stock:  Calypso Coral, Crisp Cantaloupe, Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack, Mossy Meadow, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Pansy Punch, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Petite Petals Punch, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Little Leaves Sizzlits (retired), Blackberry Bliss Thick Baker's Twine, Pearl Basic Jewels, Brayer, SNAIL Adhesive, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Stampin' Trimmer

For all the challenge details, please visit The Friday Mashup.  We'd love to see your interpretation of the sketch and the bouncing brayer technique.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

It's a Celebration!

One of my favorite challenges is The Friday Mashup!  It has been a great boost to my creativity as many times the challenges take me outside my little box and get me to do something I haven't done before.  They are celebrating their 200th challenge and this one was such fun.  I really enjoyed going back through previous challenges and finding the ones that I wanted to use for this special challenge.

I used the Butterflies with Dimension from FM01 (the very first challenge) and the Black, White and Square from FM03.  It was fun to try to use as many elements as I could from both challenges.    

Stamp Sets:  Nature's Perfection, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Ink:  Tuxedo Black Memento; Card Stock:  Basic Black, Sheer Perfection Designer Vellum Stack, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Elegant Butterfly Punch, Modern Label Punch, Word Window Punch, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Adhesive Sheets (Scrapbook Adhesives), Dimensionals, Simply Scored Stylus, Paper-Piercing Mat

You can find all the details for the current challenge over at The Friday Mashup!

An InLinkz Link-Up

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Current Hostess Code:  BDU2XPTT

The Friday Mashup 198 and Just Us Girls 281

In case you are wondering what I'm doing up so late, I'll just come right out and tell you.  I can't sleep!  Thus, 2:43 a.m. is late instead of early.  Make any sense to you?  Don't feel bad, me either.  So, what do I do when I can't sleep?  I make cards.

For this card I combined challenges, The Friday Mashup and Just Us Girls.  It was challenging but fun to try to get the colors and sketch and images to come together.  It took me a few tries.  I wonder if that is because I'm sleep deprived at the moment.  The light blue layer is from the Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper.  To give it a little character, I stamped the honeycomb image from the Butterfly Basics stamp set using Sahara Sand ink.  I stamped off so it gave just a hint of the image.  Both butterflies are stamped using Night of Navy ink.  I love the look of the Smoky Slate card stock with the Night of Navy butterfly.

Stamp Sets:  Butterfly Basics, Gorgeous Grunge; Inks:  Night of Navy, Sahara Sand; Card Stock:  All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack, Blushing Bride, Night of Navy, Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper, Sahara Sand, Smoky Slate; Accessories & Tools:  Butterfly Thinlits Dies, 5/8" Whisper White Satin Ribbon, Silver Rhinestones (non-Stampin' Up!®), Dimensionals, Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine. Stampin' Trimmer

All Stampin' Up!® product unless otherwise noted.

The sketch and flight theme are from The Friday Mashup!

The pretty colors are from the Just Us Girls Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

March Hostess Code:  BDU2XPTT

Triple Time Stamping for The Friday Mashup!

It has been quite a while since I've done any triple time stamping.  This week's Mashup Challenge was to create a project with the Triple Layer Technique or a project with a Floral theme or Mash it Up!and create Floral Triple Layer Project.  I tell you, I had fun with this one.  I love the look it gives  you with all the different layers.  With my younger sister's birthday fast approaching, it made for a very pretty card I can send her.  She loves purple!

Stamp Sets:  Butterfly Basics, Flower Shop, Kinda Eclectic; Inks:  Crisp Cantaloupe, Elegant Eggplant, Perfect Plum, So Saffron; Card Stock:  Elegant Eggplant, Very Vanilla; Accessories & Tools:  Elegant Butterfly Punch, Pearl Basic Jewels, Dimensionals

All the challenge details for The Friday Mashup! can be found HERE.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

The Friday Mashup! 191

It's a sparkly snowflake covered world I live in today.  Yesterday we had a nice little snow storm come through that left nearly seven inches of snow behind.  With the wind, it's sending sparkly snowflakes through the air and making for a very pretty view out of my craft studio window.  I guess that makes up for the bitter cold that arrived after the snow.

The snow fit perfectly with the current Friday Mashup! challenge.  It's a project with a winter theme or a project with a few snowflakes or a Mash It Up! with a winter project with snowflakes.  I don't think it gets much more wintery than a fresh blanket of snow on the ground.  The sentiment is a little hard to read in the photo since it's stamped with Soft Sky but up close and personal, it's really pretty.

Stamp Set:  Beauty of the Season; Ink:  Soft Sky; Card Stock:  Soft Sky, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Snowflurries Embossing Folder (Tim Holtz), Decorative Label Punch, Gelly Roll Glitter Pen, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive

Challenge details and more inspiration for The Friday Mashup! Challenge can be found HERE.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

The Friday Mashup 187

Although my day started out with some sunshine, as it progressed, the clouds rolled in and made for a rather gloomy day.  Off in the distance, I can see the capitol building and it was bathed in a haze of gray.  I've always found fog to be rather fascinating, so, I decided to use it for this week's Friday Mashup! Challenge.  The challenge is to create a project using a metal embellishment or weather as inspiration or to use both to mash it up.

For the clouds, I used a template I created a couple of months ago for another project.  Of course, there was some Cajun Craze ink residue on the edge of the clouds so you can see just a hint of color on the gray.  It turned a muted pinkish color that worked well with the Blackberry Bliss Top Note frame.  There is no sentiment as of yet, since I'm not sure what occasion it will be used for.  I like having some cards made up that I've not stamped a sentiment on.

Stamp Sets:  Lovely As a Tree, White Christmas; Inks:  Basic Black, Basic Gray, Smoky Slate; Card Stock:  Blackberry Bliss, Smoky Slate, Very Vanilla; Accessories & Tools:  Top Note Die, Silver Mini Brads

You can find all the details for The Friday Mashup! HERE.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

The Friday Mashup 186

Hello and happy Friday!  It's a lovely blue sky, sunshine filled day here in Iowa.  Of course, it's just the calm before the storm, so to speak.  Tomorrow will find us with a day filled with snowflakes and,  by the time it is done, two to four inches of them on the ground.  I need to run a couple of errands today but wanted to share the card I made for The Friday Mashup! Challenge.  The challenge is to create a project using the sketch or a surprise element, something you wouldn't expect to see on a card/or an unexpected embellishment or "Mash it Up!" by using the sketch and the unexpected embellishment.  I did my best to Mash it Up!  :-)  They also have a Design Team call out so wish me luck! 

One of the other hobbies I have is jewelry making.  I make all of my own earrings, bracelets, necklaces and ankle bracelets.  I often have things left over that I thought I was going to use in a piece and one is this little butterfly charm you see on my card.  I'm calling it my unexpected embellishment because it's not something I would ordinarily put on a card.  What do you think?

Stamp Sets:  , Bloom with Hope, Everything Eleanor, Gorgeous Grunge; Inks:  Blackberry Bliss, Sahara Sand; Card Stock:  Blackberry Bliss, Blushing Bride, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Linen Thread, Butterfly Charm, beads, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Trimmer

You can find more inspiration and The Friday Mashup! challenge details HERE.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercolor Wash

It was just plain fun to try my hand at doing some water coloring.  I don't do much of it but it does stretch me when it is offered up as a challenge.  The Friday Mashup Challenge this week was to create a project with a watercolor wash, create a CAS or one with minimal layers or mash it up and use both.  As always, I tried both.

The watercolor wash background was done on watercolor paper.  I used Dimensionals to pop up the background.  Sometimes I have a hard time getting the water color paper to stay stuck, especially after it's been wet.  Of course, I had to use my all time favorite stamp set, Lovely As a Tree!

 
Stamp Sets:  Lovely As a Tree, Kinda Eclectic, Trust God; Inks:  Crushed Curry, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz, Hello Honey, Mossy Meadow, Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger); Card Stock:  Lost Lagoon, Watercolor Paper; Accessories & Tools:  Rhinestone Basic Jewels
All Stampin' Up!® product, unless otherwise noted.

The Friday Mashup Challenge can be found HERE.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Pot of Gold

It was so much fun to make this card for the current Friday Mashup Challenge.  I love rainbows.  They are bright and cheerful and they hold a promise of calm skies ahead.  I always remember the colors of the rainbow by remembering ROY G BIV.  Wearin' o' the green has always presented a dilemma for me.  Green is not a color I particularly like unless it is on a tree and I certainly didn't like getting a pinch when I was seen not wearing green on March 17th.  But, as I would point out to the one pinching me, I am wearing green and I wear green every day of my life!  Have you figured out why I always have green on?  Yup, you guessed it.  I have green eyes!  So, should you see me tomorrow, be sure to look me in the "green" eyes before you pinch me!  :-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Stamp Set:  Teeny Tiny Wishes (Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); Card Stock:  Real Red, Tangerine Tango, Daffodil Delight, Garden Green, Marina Mist, Elegant Eggplant, Wisteria Wonder, Basic Black, Whisper White, Gumball Green and Gold Foil Sheets (Stampin' Up!), Adorbs Paper Pad (My Mind's Eye); Accessories & Tools:  1-3/4" Circle Punch, Word Window Punch, Modern Label Punch, Itty Bitty Punch Pack Flower, Stampin' Dimensionals, 2-Way Glue Pen and Multipurpose Liquid Glue (Stampin' Up)

I love The Friday Mashup Challenge.  I always try to do the 'mashup' whenever I get a chance to play along and sometimes it's not easy.  You can find the challenge HERE.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Happy Birthday Blue

It was so exciting to be picked as Lisa's Rock Star over at The Friday Mashup!  Thank you so much, Lisa, for making me your Rock Star.  You can read all about it HERE.  I love playing along with their challenges and this week's had me playing with ink and water and stencil and sponge.  I tried something a bit different and while I'm not sure it went like I expected, it was fun to get inky.

Stamp Set:  Delightful Dozen (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Pool Party Ink Refill, Marina Mist Ink Refill, Night of Navy Refill, Blushing Bride, Strawberry Slush, Primrose Petals, Night of Navy, Whisper White Craft Pad (Stampin' Up!); Card Stock:  Very Vanilla, Pistachio Pudding, Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!); Accessories & Tools:  Manilla Tag, Blending Tool (Ranger), Bubbles Mask Stencil (Studio Calico), Clear Embossing Powder, VersaMark Pen, Decorative Dots Embossing Folder, Linen Thread, Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

I decided to "Mash it Up" and use the sketch and do some sponging.  Here is the challenge over at The Friday Mashup.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Petite Petals Thank You

The Friday Mashup Challenge this week was to use stars or make a thank you card set with matching envelopes or to make a set of thank you cards and envelopes using stars.  Easy, right?  Well, yes, if you have anything 'starry' to use.  I was at a loss until I remembered my paper pad of Mother Goose by Graphic 45.  It worked great for my set of 3" x 3" thank you cards.

Stamp Sets:  Petite Petals, Simply Sketched (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Bermuda Bay, Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry (Stampin' Up!); Card Stock:  Bermuda Bay (Stampin' Up!), White (Bazzill), Mother Goose Patterned Paper (Graphic 45); Accessories & Tools:  Petite Petals Punch, Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!), Rhinestones

I wanted to add the star paper to the flap of the envelope but didn't have enough left.  Instead, I used a retired Stampin' Up! set called So Happy for You.  It had a shooting star stamp in it that I used to stamp the front left corner of the envelope.

To go check out The Friday Mashup blog, just click on the image below and it will take you right over there.

Now I have the last of my thank you cards done and can concentrate on the Valentine cards I need to get designed and sent.  Busy, busy, busy!

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Another January Birthday

Well, here is the final card needed for my January birthdays.  Devin joins the ranks of teenager this year.  I figured it will be the last year I can get away with a somewhat cutesy card for him.  I love the bright colors of this one and who says bright colors are only for girls.

Stamp Sets:  Gorgeous Grunge and Swirls & Curls (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Coastal Cabana and Crisp Cantaloupe (Stampin' Up!); Card Stock:  Coastal Cabana and Very Vanilla (Stampin' Up!), Vintage Bliss (Simple Stories); Accessories & Tools:  Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder and Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!), Blender Pen, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

This one is being entered in two challenges.  I used the sketch from The Friday Mashup challenge.  I think it would work for the theme of time as well given a birthday marks the passing of time but I'm not sure that's what others would think.  Here is the sketch from The Friday Mashup!

I'm also sharing it over at Seize the Birthday.

Whew!  All the January birthday cards are done.  I only have five to make for February.  I'd better get busy.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha