You Are the Best

It's been a while since I've played along with the Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge.  I had started coloring this with Copics but didn't get it finished.  When I saw the challenge of "flowers", I knew it would be perfect and I needed a thank you card.  I didn't do a lot of blending but decided to simply color the flowers.  I love the bright colors.  I really enjoy using this Cutting Edge - Flowers stamp set and die from Taylored Expressions. 

Stamp Sets:  Cutting Edge - Flowers (Taylored Expressions); So Very Much (Stampin' Up!)

Inks:  Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!); Oreo Hybrid (Taylored Expressions)

Cardstock:  Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions)

Dies:  Cutting Edge - Flowers Die (Taylored Expressions)

Other:  Glitter Gems (Triveni Crafts)

Today's card was made for the Pause Dream Enjoy Challenge.  For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

Thanks for stopping by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Flowers of Hope

Ever have one of those days when you just need to cheer yourself up?  That's been my today.  I have some stressful days and weeks ahead of me and something that always cheers me up and gives me hope are pretty flowers. I made these using one of my favorite stamp sets, Bloomin' Birthday Stamp & Die Combo by Taylored Expressions.

Usually, when I use my Distress Oxide Inks, I add water but today I simply stamped the colors and made these pretty flowers.  I love the way these inks look even without the addition of water.

Stamp Set:  Bloomin' Birthday Stamp & Die Combo (Taylored Expressions); Distress Oxide Inks:  Faded Jeans, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, Wild Honey; Cardstock:  Night of Navy (Stampin' Up!), Sugar Cube (Taylored Expressions); Other:  Sugar Cube Enamel Dots, Sunshine Wishes Dies (Stampin' Up!)

The sketch I used are from the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge.  It's the second step in their Design Team process.  For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

Thanks for stopping by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Happy Mother's Day

These are the beautiful flowers I received for Mother's Day from my youngest son, Mike and his wife, Jody, along with their three boys, Dustin, Zachary and Nicholas.  They look so nice sitting in front of my window.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

A Parade of Pretty Flowers

Last Friday I received some very pretty flowers for Mother's Day from my youngest son, Michael, his wife, Jody and their boys, Zachary and Nicholas.  Since then it has been so much fun to watch them continue to bloom.  The first picture was taken on the first day just after I put them in the vase.  From there you can see the progression of the blooms.  One of the lilies is huge!  Oh, and the living room smells wonderful!  It was a wonderful Mother's Day.  All three of my boys sent texts wishing me a great day and my oldest son, Wayne, called me all the way from Afghanistan.  He'll be coming home for a visit in July and I can't wait to see him.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Flower and Ferns

Seriously?!?  Eighty-three degrees in Iowa in mid-March!  All I can say is Wow!  I, for one, am loving it.  The windows are open and the fresh air is pouring in giving my home a crisp, clean smell.  Is it okay to admit that I'm looking forward to our first spring rain, too?  Talk about a clean fragrance.

Anyway, today's card is for The Paper Players Challenge.  The challenge was to create a clean and simple floral design.  I pulled out my Butterfly Basics Stamp Set and got to work.  Truth to tell, I just had fun with this one.  I actually designed it in my art journal first then, transferred it, with a few changes to a card.  Even though the butterfly is a punch out, I really think the eye is drawn first to the flower.  I went with all Rich Razzleberry so it would stand out.

Stamp Sets:  Butterfly Basics, Kinda Eclectic; Inks:  Coastal Cabana, Crumb Cake, Mossy Meadow, Pistachio Pudding, Rich Razzleberry, Tuxedo Black; Card Stock:  Coastal Cabana, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Elegant Butterfly Punch, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive

The inspiration for my design came from The Paper Players Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Think Spring! Think pretty flowers!

The sunshine and blue skies and the fact that I have my windows open for some fresh air have truly made me feel like Spring is really on the way!  I can't begin to tell you how happy that makes me.  To be honest, we really didn't have that bad a winter here in Iowa.  It seems as though each snow that came along either went north of us or south of us.  I'm not complaining but I could have done without the bitter cold temperatures Winter brought with it.  So, I hope you enjoy these pretty Spring flowers.

Stamp Sets:  Everything Eleanor, You Brighten My Day; Inks:  Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz; Card Stock:  Blushing Bride, Calypso Coral, Hello Honey, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Banner Punch, Fun Flower Punch, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Petite Petals Punch, Silver Rhinestones, Square Lattice Embossing Folder (retired), SNAIL Adhesive, Dimensionals

The colors I used are from the current Fab Friday Challenge.

The sketch I used is from the current CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Current Hostess Code:  BDU2XPTT

The Friday Mashup Challenge #155

It started raining yesterday and has just not stopped!  It's the kind of spring rain we needed so I'm not complaining.  It gave me the perfect reason to stay home and spend the day in my craft studio.  And, as the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers."  So, for my card today I made a pretty Calypso Coral flower.  This time The Friday Mashup Challenge gave us the options to use certain colors, a specific shape or to do both.  I tried my best to "mash it up."  I didn't add a sentiment simply because I'm not sure how I'm going to use the card.  Mother's Day, Easter, thinking of you or birthday all seem appropriate.  Guess I'll decide that when the occasion arises where I can use it.

Stamp Set:  Secret Garden (Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Calypso Coral (Stampin' Up!); Card Stock:  Wisteria Wonder, Daffodil Delight, Calypso Coral and Wild Wasabi (Stampin' Up!); Accessories & Tools:  Secret Garden Framelits, Circles Collection Framelits, 1/4" Pool Party Ribbon, Pearl Basic Jewels and  Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' UP!), Tear Drop Circles Dies (Spellbinders)

For all the details of the challenge and to play along, visit The Friday Mashup Challenge HERE.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Beautiful Butterflies

From flowers to butterflies.  Both papers came from one of the new paper pads I picked up the other day.  I just love the colors!  I'm playing along with another challenge.  This one is from Fusion Card Challenge.  You have the option of using just the sketch, just the inspiration photo or both to create fusion!  I always like to try to do both.  It's fun to see if I can manage to bring the two together.

Stamp:  Happy Birthday (Stampabilities); Ink:  VersaMark Watermark Stamp Pad; Card Stock:  Whisper White, Melon Mambo (Stampin' Up!), Ki Color Crush Paper Pad (Hampton Art); Accessories & Tools:  Beautiful Wings Embosslits, 3/8" Old Olive Striped Organdy Ribbon, Pear Basic Jewels, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

This is the sketch I used from the Fusion Card Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Silver Rain & Dancing Flowers

Well, I finally got my clouds and rain and flowers design done.  It's a bit different from what I was planning but I like it.  Silver rain drops and dancing flowers sure beat the gloom and rain Iowa has been having.  I don't mind the rain but having it warm while it's raining would be such a plus.  Anyway, here's today's artistic endeavor.

Stamp Set:  My Friend; Ink:  Marina Mist; Card Stock:  Naturals White, Marina Mist, Perfect Plum, Pink Pirouette, So Saffron; Accessories & Tools:  Cloudy Day Embossing Folder, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Dazzling Details, Stardust Gelly Roll Pen, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Mini Glue Dots

I haven't added a sentiment because I couldn't decide what the occasion should be.  I may just leave it blank and simply use it as a note card or just hand write it.

Grandma's Crocus

One of the things I remember most about my Grandma is her flowers.  There were beds of flowers scattered throughout her huge yard.  The first sign of spring was the little flowers that popped their heads up out of the ground.  Soon, the entire front of her house was alive with beautiful lavender Crocus.  I loved visiting Grandma in the spring when everything was so fresh and colorful.

Flowered Heart Chalkboard

Here is my latest project for my display at the Crafters' Gift Boutique.  I made a bunch of different colored flowers and was playing around with a design but nothing was working for me.  That day I was watching two of my grandchildren so my son, Mike, and wife, Jody, catered in Papa Murphy's pizza.  I was telling Jody about just not finding a good look for the heart.  While I was slicing the pizza, she ambled over to the table, took all the flowers off and came up with the layout you see on the heart.  I was trying to cover the whole heart with flowers which would have made it more difficult to use the chalkboard without crushing the flowers.  Once she simplified the whole thing, it just looked so much better.

Stamp Set: Mixed Bunch; Ink: Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals; Card Stock: Gumball Green, Midnight Muse, Raspberry Ripple, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit, Twitterpated Designer Series Paper; Accessories & Tools: Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack, Blossom Punch, Fancy Flower Punch, 1-3/4" Scallop Punch, Bird Builder Punch, Butterfly Punch (retired), Dazzling Details, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Mini Glue Dots
 
Once I can find some chalk and an easel, I'll finish this up and set it in my display.  Now it's time for me to get busy with mundane chores.  I have my Customer Appreciation Open House Monday and need to get ready for it.  So much to do, so little time!

Summer Starfruit & Black Picture Frame

As promised, here is the other picture frame I embellished yesterday.  The frame can be set vertically or horizontally, depending on the pictures you want to display, so I positioned the flowers to allow it to be used either way.  I love the way the Summer Starfruit and Basic Black Card Stock look together.  To make the flowers, I used the Blossom Punch and the Fancy Flower Punch.

The frame seemed a bit off balance so I added some of our Pearl Basic Jewels.  All of the frames are for sale, so if you see one you like e-mail me and I'll give you the details.  Although, the frames I've shared came in the colors you see, I can do a color of your choice.

And, yes, I do have more frames to play with, just in case you were wondering.  Actually, I'm saving them for my next Techniques Thursday class.  You'll learn how to make the flowers for whatever project you have in mind.  Be sure to register soon.  Check out the Stamping Cafe Events page for more details.

Here is another of the projects I made for my display at the Crafters Gift Boutique.  I love how you can take a plain looking box and turn it into something with a wee bit of pizzazz.  The one thing I forgot to do was take a picture of the cards that are inside the box.  They are from Simply Sent Everyday Elegance Kit, which is now retired.  The colors are Baja Breeze and Whisper White which is why I used those colors for the flowers on the box lid.  Well, the light colored card stock is actually Very Vanilla because I liked the way it looked with the brown better than the white.

Using the 1-3/4" Scallop Circle Punch, I made the flowers from Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, Soft Suede and Chocolate Chip card stock.  Next week I'll show you how to make the flowers.  It's an easy technique and makes such cute little flowers.

For the finishing touch, I added 1/2" Pool Party Seam Binding Ribbon around the box.  Under the bow I added a Mini Glue Dot to keep it in place.  And that's all there was to it.

Framed Friends

Over the past couple of days I've just been a busy little thing.  I've even spent time with family and enjoyed a fish fry on Monday.  Yum!  I love spending time with my sons and their families but they sure do wear me out.  :-)  A very noisy,  happy bunch are we!

I've been working on more projects for my display at the Crafters' Gift Boutique.  I've had this 'friends' frame for some time but just couldn't decide what to do with it.  Once I learned to make flowers, it wasn't hard to figure out.  I didn't need a lot of embellishment for this frame as it had a nice design to it.

The flowers are made from Soft Suede, Bashful Blue, Very Vanilla card stock and the leaves I used are punched from Lucky Limeade card stock using the retiring 5-Petal Punch.  I sponged the Very Vanilla and the Bashful Blue with just a hint of Night of Navy Classic Ink.  A Lucky Limeade Brad from the Sale-A-Bration Everyday Enchantment set but it no longer available.  The flowers add just that little bit of dimension to the frame.

Flowered Frame

Wow!  I can't believe how much I've gotten done in the last two days.  I learned how to make flowers.  I have two sets of cards done as well as a single card, a set of coasters that are one coat away from being done and I just finished up this pretty picture frame.  All are headed right into the Crafters' Gift Boutique.  It's amazing that I've accomplished so much since I've been spending as much time as I can with my boys.  I've had such a good weekend.

The flowers are made from the 2011-2013 In Colors Wisteria Wonder, Lucky Limeade and Pool Party Card Stock.  I was surprised at how easy they are to make.  I just kept putting off giving them a try.  Silly me!  Now that I mastered the technique, I know I'm going to be making more as well as learning how to make some of the other flowers I've seen.

The new Annual Catalog debuts this Friday, June 1st.  If you'd like a copy, contact me and I'll send you one.  You are going to love all the new product!

In Colors Bouquet

These are the flowers I made for my display at the Crafters' Gift Boutique.  The little flower pot is not part of the display but the containers I'm using are already at the Boutique.  They are clear crystal that I have embossed.  Since tomorrow is the kickoff of our local Farmer's Market, I'm trying to get as much done today and tonight that I can.  I have to be there at 7 a.m.  Ugh!

Stamp Sets:  Mixed Bunch, Just Believe; Inks:  Gumball Green, Raspberry Ripple, Midnight Muse, Summer Starfruit, Primrose Petals; Card Stock:  Whisper White, Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade; Accessories & Tools:  3/4" Circle Punch, 1" Circle Punch, Blossom Punch, 1/8" Lucky Limeade Organdy Ribbon (retired), Pearl Basic Jewels, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Mini Glue Dots

Simple but cute.  I think this is something I'm going to add to my Card Buffet options.  Now I'm out of here to get more projects finished up for tomorrow.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my 62nd birthday so I am taking the day off to celebrate.  I've decided I need a wee bit of fun time where I'm away from the house and I don't think of business, housework or trying to keep up with my two-year-old grandson. 

One of the things my mother and I shared is a love of flowers.  One of our favorites was lilacs.  Mom is no longer here to celebrate birthdays with me but every time I see a beautiful lilac, I get a smile on my face and know she is enjoying them with me.  I miss you, Mom.

And, don't forget to place that Sale-A-Bration order!  Today is the last day you can get a free product for every $50 you spend. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.