Watercooler Wednesday Challanges #115 - Gail's Clean & Simple "Spring" Theme Challenge

We have a Clean And Simple (CAS) challenge for you this week at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge and Gail has given us the theme of Spring.  What can be more springlike than a sprig of cherry blossoms?

At this time of year I always think of my big brother, Larry, as his birthday was April 17th.  The only thing on my bucket list is to see my brother's name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington D.C.  I think the perfect time to do so would be Spring when those cherry blossoms are at their peak.

Stamp Set:  Sheltering Tree (sentiment); Ink:  Rich Razzleberry; Watercolor Pencils:  Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry; Cardstock:  Rich Razzleberry, Vellum, Whisper White, Whisper White Thick; Other:  Bitty Butterfly Punch, Cherry Blossom Embossing Folder (Taylored Expressions)

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, April 24th at 6:00 p.m. Central Time to link your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Pretty Spring Flowers

Flowers have always been a sign of Spring for me.  They peek their heads up out of the ground looking for sunshine and warm weather.  With the strange winter we've had here, I'm not sure they know what to do.  I'm just hoping that they don't get too chilly as this March weather tries to make up its mind.

Anyway, I used the Butterfly Basics stamp set, first introduced in the 2015 Occasions Catalog, and colored the image with Watercolor Pencils.  I think those Pacific Point flowers are so pretty.  But, give me anything blue and I'm happy.  I love the way Rich Razzleberry and Pacific Point look together.  I colored the pearls with Pacific Point but they came out looking lighter than the flowers.

Stamp Set:  Butterfly Basics; Ink:  Basic Black Archival; Watercolor Pencils:  Old Olive, Pacific Point, Rich Razzleberry; Cardstock:  Rich Razzleberry, Shimmery White, Whisper White Thick; Other:  Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies, Whisper White Baker's Twine, Pearl Basic Jewels

The colors I used are from the CAS Colours & Sketches. Challenge.  For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

The theme of Spring is from the CAS Watercolour Card Challenge and the Stampin' Royalty Challenge.  For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the images below.

The sketch I used is from the Sunday Stamps Challenge.  For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

My card was also entered in the Anything Goes Retro Rubber 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

Wacky Watercooler Spring Fever Blog Hop

Welcome to our February Spring Fever Blog Hop.  Each month, on the third Thursday of the month, a group of us get together to hop and share projects from Stampin' Up!'s current catalogs.  It's always a lot of fun.  Today's hop is all about Spring and I must say that this week in Iowa, with 60 degree temperatures, it's going to feel very springlike.

You should be coming to my blog from Kath Ricks.  After your visit with me, head on over to Libby Fens.  And, as always, our Hop runs in a circle.  Whether you start at the top and go forward or start at the bottom and go backward, you will always wind up where you started.

With 60 degree temperatures here in Iowa for the next eight days, it's definitely feeling like Spring.  I'm just hoping that we don't get a nasty March snowstorm.  It's been known to happen.

The projects I made all feature some aspect of Spring.  It could be through a word or a flower or a vibrant color. 

Stamp Set:  Beautiful You, Crazy about You, Jar of Love, Sunshine Sayings; Inks:  Mint Macaron, Pacific Point, Tuxedo Black Memento; Cardstock:  Pacific Point, Whisper White, Whisper White Thick; Other:  Stitched Shapes Framelits Dies

Stamp Set:  Lift Me Up; Inks:  Emerald Envy, Tuxedo Black Memento; Cardstock:  Emerald Envy, Peekaboo Peach, Whisper White, Whisper White Thick; Other:  Rose Garden Thinlits Dies, Up & Away Thinlits Dies, Cloudy Day Embossing Folder (retired), Clear Wink of Stella Brush, Rhinestone Basic Jewls 

Stamp Sets:  Avant Garden, Wetlands (sentiment); Inks:  Emerald Envy, Melon Mambo, Soft Suede, Tuxedo Black Memento; Cardstock:  Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Whisper White Thick; Other:  Pearl Basic Jewels

That is all from me.  The next stop on your tour is Libby Fens.  To see her wonderful projects, click the image below.

If you'd like to revisit Kath Ricks and see her great projects again, click the image below.

To start at the beginning you can click the image below to go back to the Wacky Watercooler Stamping Blog.

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

More Petal Potpourri

Oh my!  I have totally fallen in love with the Petal Potpourri flowers.  Today I combined it with the the sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and the colors from Colour Me...!  Talk about a bright, cheerful Springlike card.  I'm definitely thinking Spring given the fact that come tomorrow, I'll be under a Winter Storm Watch which I'm sure is going to change to a Winter Storm Warning.  They've already told us to expect 5+ inches of snow.  I just knew Winter couldn't just leave us alone here in Iowa.  You know, I can't complain since the last two weeks have been in the high 40s and 50s.  So, here is that pretty Spring card I made this morning.

For the center of the flower, I was going to use some Crystal Effects but I remembered I had these cute little epoxy stickers from Stampin' Up!®  You can find them in the 2015 Occasions Catalog on page 28.  Now that I've "re-discovered" the Itty Bitty Accents Epoxy Stickers and love them, it's time to order more.

Stamp Sets:  Banner Blessings, Petal Potpourri; Inks:  Rich Razzleberry, Tangelo Twist; Card Stock:  Adventure Bound Designer Series Paper Stack, All Abloom Designer Series Paper Stack, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Flower Medallion Punch, 1/2" Circle Punch, Itty Bitty Accents Epoxy Sticker, SNAIL Adhesive, Dimensionals, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

Here is the sketch I used from Freshly Made Sketches.

The pretty colors are from the Colour Me...! Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

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

The Wacky Watercooler April Blog Hop

Hello, and welcome to our April “Spring has Sprung” Wacky Watercooler Blog Hop.  We’re a bunch of Independent Stampin’ Up!® Demonstrators who love to create and share that creativity with you.

This month I have the honor of being first stop on our Hop, but no worries if you came here from somewhere else.  The Hop goes round and round, so no matter where you start, as long as you keep clicking on the "Next" button, you'll go through all the participating blogs.  If you get a little lost along the way, just click the “Home” button and head back to the Wacky Watercooler Blog home page to start all over.

For my first card, I'm sharing one I made for a recent swap.  I have totally fallen in love with the Petite Petals Stamp Set and the Petite Petals Punch!  Oh, and I decided to pull out some stamp sets I've not used in a while which is why you are seeing a sentiment from the Oh, Hello Stamp Set.

Stamp Sets:  Petite Petals, Oh, Hello; Inks:  Night of Navy, Cajun Craze, Pool Party, Tangerine Tango; Card Stock:  Cajun Craze, Pool Party, Very Vanilla, Etcetera Designer Series Paper; Accessories & Tools:  Petite Petals Punch, Labels Collection Framelits, Arrows Embossing Folder, Pearl Basic Jewels, Stamping Dimensionals,Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

Next up is a Mother's Day card.  I was going to add a Midnight Muse flower but loved the simplicity of the card so much that I saved the flower for another time.  I'm more of a white gold kind of gal but that Gold Sequin Trim has grown on me.  The sentiment is from the Delightful Dozen Stamp Set that is one of my go to sentiment sets.

Stamp Set:  Delightful Dozen; Ink:  Basic Black; Card Stock:  Calypso Coral, Very Vanilla, Etcetera Designer Series Paper; Accessories & Tools:  Gold Sequin Trim, Sticky Strip, Crystal Effects

With Easter not too far off, I decided, at the last minute, to make an Easter card.  The Four Frames Stamp Set is another one I've neglected lately.  I stamped off the image so it has a softer look because I wanted the sentiment to stand out.  I've been trying to use up my paper scraps in an attempt to keep my clutter down to a minimum.  I love the colors in the Etcetera Designer Series Paper.  The addition of the little Melon Mambo butterfly gave the card just a spot of bright color.

Stamp Sets:  Four Frames, Delightful Dozen; Ink:  Night of Navy; Card Stock:  Very Vanilla, Night of Navy, Melon Mambo, Etcetera Designer Series Paper; Accessories & Tools:  Decorative Label Punch, Beautiful Wings Embosslits, Pearl Basic Jewels, Stampin' Dimensionals

Well, there you have it from me.  Now it's time to move forward on the tour.  Just click on the watercooler to enjoy some great projects from Terri Antoniw.

 To revisit Jeanne Kupsh, simply click on the watercooler below.

And, to head back to the Wacky Watercooler Blog where it all began, click the watercooler below.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Bursting with Flowers

Can you tell I am ready for Spring?  I've been making a lot of paper flowers lately but I would so love to see the real thing.  The one thing I miss most about apartment living is the lack of a flower garden.  I love flowers.  The Fusion Card Challenge had a great floral inspiration and I liked the sketch, too.  You can do either the sketch challenge, the inspiration photo challenge or you can combine them, which is what I decided to do for my card.

Stamp Set:  My Friend (Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Pear Pizzazz (Stampin' Up!); Card Stock:  Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie and Whisper White (Stampin' Up!), Happy Harvest Paper Pad ( Doodlebug Design, Inc.); Accessories & Tools:  Floral Fusions Sizzlits, Bird Builder Punch, 1/8" Silver Brads, Stampin' Dimensionals and Mini Glue Dots (Stampin' Up!)

With the boldness of the floral paper and the die cut flowers, I knew the stamped part of the card needed to be bold as well.  I love this hello from the My Friend Stamp Set.

Here is the current sketch and inspiration photo from the Fusion Card Challenge.  Just click the image below to find all the details.  You still have time to join, too.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

A Blanket of Bright Flowers

Yesterday's sunshine and warm temperatures had me wishing that Spring really was here to stay.  I am so looking forward to the bright and beautiful flowers and the luscious green coats of the trees.  But until that happens, I'll just have to rely on pretty patterned papers like the one I used on the card I made for the RetroSketches Challenge.  Don't you just love those bright, cheerful flowers?

Stamp Set:  Fabulous Florets (Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Tuxedo Black (Memento); Card Stock:  Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Crushed Curry, Crisp Cantaloupe (Stampin' Up!), Ki Color Crush Paper Pad (Hampton Art); Accessories & Tools:  Petite petals Punch, Itty Bitty Punch Pack Flower, Calypso Coral Stampin' Write Marker, Stampin' Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!), White Opaque Pen (Inkssentials)

Here is the sketch I used from the RetroSketches Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

The First Day of Spring

I'm not a big TV watcher but on Tuesday nights a friend comes over and we watch NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles together.  Most of the time I have my nose stuck in a book or my fingers covered in ink depending on my mood for that day.  So, today I'm sharing a new banner I made using My Digital Studio.  Bright, cheerful and today is the first day of Spring!

 
I don't know about you but I am more than ready for Spring to be here.  Winter just seems to drag on too long these days.

Happy Spring everyone!

Secret Garden Easter

Do you think Spring will ever get here?  I know, I live in Iowa and should know better than expect March to be anything but wintry.  I can always hope.  So, in anticipation of all those pretty Spring flowers, I made a vase full of flowers for Easter.

Stamp Sets:  Secret Garden, Oh, Hello, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Inks:  Gumball Green, Midnight Muse, Melon Mambo, Regal Rose, Primrose Petals; Card Stock:  Midnight Muse, Naturals White; Accessories & Tools:  Secret Garden Framelits, Dazzling Details, Stampin' Dimensionals, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

Aren't you ready to see the first blooms of Spring?

Tulip Time

The tulips have been beautiful and plentiful during this unusually warm early spring.  To brighten your day, I thought I'd share some spring beauty with you.

Enjoy!

5 Petal Flowers

There hasn't been much time to create these last few days.  I've been spring cleaning and eliminating so much stuff that I've been too tired to sit at the craft table.  After Aiden left today, I pulled up My Digital Studio and this is the card I created.  I've been using the 30-Day Free Trial and can't wait until my full set gets here.  I'll have a lot more projects I'll be able to do with it.

This program is really a lot of fun and you should give it a try.

Is It Spring, Yet?

Okay, so things didn't go as planned and I won't be sharing new creations with you today.  What I am sharing is a photograph I took in the spring of 2010 as I was making a run through Culver's drive through for lunch.  The bushes were so full of blooms that you could barely see the wall behind them.  So, enjoy this little bit of spring from the past and I'll be back later.

Until we meet again...

A Day Of Rest

Although I'm taking the day off, due to feeling like my three sons are playing football in my head, I wanted to share this beautiful picture with you.  The spring blossoms are only one of the things I'm looking forward to when spring finally arrives.  I hope you enjoy as much as I am.

Until we meet again...