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

Sunday Christmas Card Challenge # 23

What!?!  No patterned paper?  How on earth can one create without patterned paper?  That's your next challenge here at Christmas Card Challenges.  I know I find it a bit more difficult to leave the patterned papers alone but, as you see, a pretty card can be made without it.  The presents stamp is from a set I got when I purchased a magazine.  I stamped it on Whisper White card stock using Tuxedo Black Memento ink and colored it with Copic Markers.  I used various shades of red and green.  I am so going to miss that Pistachio Pudding when it retires next month.  Silver ribbon and silver sequins finished it off.

Now it's your turn.  Show us how you create without using patterned paper.

Stamp Sets:  Christmas Bliss, Happy Holidays (unknown); Inks:  Pistachio Pudding, Tuxedo Black Memento; Copic Markers:  R27, YG11, YG13, YG17; Card Stock:  Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  1/8" Silver Ribbon, Frosted Sequins, Dimensionals, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Paper Snips.  All Stampin' Up!® unless otherwise noted.

For the challenge details and to show us how you were inspired, visit Christmas Card Challenges.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

The Friday Mashup! Challenge #208

Happy Mother's Day!  See that pretty flower in my photo?  It is from the beautiful flowers Mike, Jody, Zachary and Nicholas sent me for Mother's Day.  It is absolutely gorgeous!  But that's not the only one that was in the bouquet.  This is the one I rescued as it was drooping over and had a bent stem but I knew it would revive if I put it in its own little vase.  The full bouquet is lovely and I'll show you a picture of it once all of the blooms are open.  It has several more lilies like the one below and some purple flowers that are just opening up and aren't quite ready to reveal their true identities.

Along with the flowers, came a small box of chocolates.  It worked perfect for this week's Friday Mashup Challenge.  We were to create a that was recycled or upclycled or create a project for Mother's Day or put them together and mash it up!  I decided to upcycle the candy box and make a boxed set of 3 x 3 cards.  The cards are made from Crisp Cantaloupe card stock layered with the same little dotted patterned paper as the bottom layer of the flowers.  Since there are no chocolates in the box, I thought the sentiment from the Lovely Amazing You stamp set was most fitting.

Stamp Sets:  Lovely Amazing You, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Ink:  Early Espresso; Card Stock:  Crisp Cantaloupe, Stacked with Love Designer Series Paper Stack; Accessories & Tools:  Pansy Punch, Petite Petals Punch, Itty Bitty Accents Punch Pack, Tangelo Twist Thick Baker's Twine, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Trimmer.  All Stampin' Up!® product unless otherwise noted.

Here is how the way the box and the flowers looked on day one.

For all the challenge details and to play along, visit The Friday Mashup!

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Freshly Made Sketches #185 and Colour Me...! #70 Challenge Combination

Oh happy day!  I'm going to get to spend the whole day in my craft studio.  In all honesty, it's only because I've messed up my back and mobility is somewhat difficult.  That's what I get for moving things out of the way that are too heavy for me to be moving out of the way!  But, my air conditioner is working again.  I'll also be able to get several projects done that are for upcoming challenges and another Watercooler Blog Hop that starts on May 14th at 8:00 p.m. CDT.

For this card I combined a couple of challenges and love how it turned out.  I recently purchased the Something for Baby stamp set and Baby's First Framelits Dies and have been itching to playing with them.  I am going to be sorry to see Crisp Cantaloupe retire next month.  I'll be showcasing some sneak peek projects in the days to come to show off the new 2015-2017 In Colors.  Be sure to stay tuned.

Stamps:  Label Love, Something for Baby; Ink:  Crisp Cantaloupe; Card Stock:  Crisp Cantaloupe, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Artisan Label Punch, Baby's First Framelits Dies, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine, Stampin' Trimmer

The colors I used are from the Colour Me...! Challenge.

The sketch I used is from Freshly Made Sketches.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Retro Sketches #163

Time has gotten away from me this week!  I've had a few spur of the moment things come up so it has thrown me off my normal flow of time.  Today is no exception.  We are having a kick off party for one of my friends here where I live.  She's headed to Washington D.C. so we're sending her off in style.  Of course, I felt she needed a card.  I just finished it up and need to head on down to the event so it's a quick post.  And, I needed to get this done before leaving so I could make it into the Retro Sketches Challenge.

Stamp Sets:  Crazy about You (sentiment), Map it Out; Inks:  Hello Honey, Lost Lagoon; Card Stock:  Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Hello Honey Thick Baker's Twine, Hello Honey Button, Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive, Glue Dots, Stampin' Trimmer

The sketch I used is from Retro Sketches Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Fab Friday #63 and CAS(E) this Sketch #121

Do you ever have days when you wish you had at least six more hours of time to get all the things done you need to get done?  That's where I find myself right about now.  I decided to totally redo my craft studio which wouldn't be so bad if I had planned better for all the upcoming projects I have to get done.  Swap cards, Design Team cards, blog hop cards not to mention all the normal every day chores that need attention.  But, I have to say it has been a great day even with all there is on my schedule.  My plan is to get it all done tonight and tomorrow because come Friday, my new 2015-2016 Annual Catalog will be here and I'll be making that wish list!

Today's card is a blend of the Fab Friday colors and the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch.  I am so going to miss all the 2013-2015 In Colors.  Baked Brown Sugar has turned out to be such a favorite.

Stamp Sets:  Crazy about You, Just Kidding (sentiment); Inks:  Coastal Cabana (sentiment), Pistachio Pudding, Strawberry Slush; Card Stock:  Baked Brown Sugar, Coastal Cabana, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Scalloped Tag Topper Punch, Flower Medallion Punch, Perfect Polka Dots Embossing Folder, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, Dimensionals

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

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

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

The Friday Mashup #207

What a great challenge this time over at The Friday Mashup!  I loved the sketch along with using one of my favorite Retired/Retiring/Forgotten Stamps.  I chose the Bloom with Hope Hostess stamp set as it has been a year long favorite and I'm going to be sad to see it go.  I also used two of the 2013-2015 In Colors that are retiring this year as well.  I'm going to miss the Baked Brown Sugar and the Coastal Cabana card stock.  But I'm also looking forward to working with the new 2015-2017 In Colors.  I'll be sharing some sneak peek projects using the new colors with you later in the week.

Stamp Set:  Bloom with Hope (retiring Hostess); Inks:  Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger), Tuxedo Black Memento; Stampin' Write Markers:  Gumball Green, Primrose Petals, Summer Starfruit (all retired); Card Stock:  Baked Brown Sugar and Coastal Cabana (retiring), Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Ticket Corner Punch (retired), Mini Clothespin (retired), Coastal Cabana Thick Baker's Twine (retiring), 2013-2015 In Color Sequin Assortment (retiring), Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive, Multipurpose Liquid Glue

The sketch I used is from the current Friday Mashup Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Colour Me...! Challenge #69

So, do you know how hard it was to pick which colors to use for the current Colour Me...!  Challenge?  I really liked both color schemes but opted for "Team Tara" since I needed a guy birthday card.  It's a new month of birthdays here for me and I want to get them all done, in their envelopes and ready to deliver on the appropriate day.

The card I made is very simple.  The Build a Bouquet stamp set provided the background behind the ship from The Open Sea stamp set was stamped using So Saffron ink.  The ship was stamped using Cajun Craze ink as was the sentiment from the Crazy about You stamp set.  A couple of mini brads and it was all done.

Stamp Sets:  Build a Bouquet, Crazy about You, The Open Sea; Inks:  Cajun Craze, So Saffron; Card Stock:  Hello Honey, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  1/8" Mini Brads, Dimensionals

The colors I used are from the Colour Me...! Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Sunday Christmas Card Challenges #22

Hello and welcome to this week's Christmas Card Challenges.  This week we have a Holiday Palette color challenge for you.  I do hope you can play along and share your creativity with us.

It has been an extremely long week for me and I must say that it's good to have a new one starting.  I've not had the chance to do much creating in my craft studio as is evidenced by my lack of posts this past week.

 

Stamp Set:  Holiday Home (retired); Inks:  Blackberry Bliss, Smoky Slate, Strawberry Slush; Card Stock:  Blackberry Bliss, Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack, Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper, Smoky Slate; Accessories & Tools:  Elegant Flourishes Die (Tim Holtz), Gold Sequin Trim, Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, Big Shot Die-Cutting Machine

All Stampin' Up!® product unless otherwise noted.

You can find all the challenge details at Christmas Card Challenges. 

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercooler Challenges #23

Welcome to our latest edition of Watercooler Challenges.  With Mother's Day being just a week away, we are celebrating Moms.  My mother loved flowers.  Her favorites were yellow roses and lilacs.  Every year I would give her some flowers and take her out for lunch after church.  We had such good times together.  

Stamp Sets:  Crazy about You, Everything Eleanor, Flower Shop, Petite Petals; Inks:  Baked Brown Sugar, Blackberry Bliss, Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Mossy Meadow; Card Stock:  Crisp Cantaloupe, Lost Lagoon, Pistachio Pudding, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Pansy Punch, Petite Petals Punch, Pearl Basic Jewels, Bermuda Bay Sequins Trim, Glue Dots, Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive, Multipurpose Liquid Glue, Paper Snips, Stampin' Trimmer

For our challenge, I chose this pretty bouquet of flowers as inspiration.    For all the details and to join in the creativity, visit Watercooler Challenges.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Colour Q #288 along with Pals Paper Arts #249

My post today will be very short.  I'm simply going to share with you the card I made for the ColourQ Challenge and the Pals Paper Arts Challenge. 

Stamp Set:  Label Love; Inks:  Jet Black Memento, Pear Pizzazz; Card Stock:  Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Crumb Cake, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Artisan Punch, Bermuda Bay Sequin Trim, Glue Dots, Snail Adhesive, Dimensionals, Stampin' Trimmer

The colors I used are from the ColourQ Challenge.

The sketch I used is from Pals Paper Arts.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Colour Me...! #68 Paired With Fab Friday #62

Truth to tell, I wasn't sure how this was all going to work out.  The colors and the sketch had to come together and not look to odd and I just wanted to have fun with it.  I love this new photopolymer stamp called Just Kidding.  I don't usually use these kinds of images but she just struck me as fun.  So, here she is in all her glory.  :-)

Stamp Set:  Just Kidding; Inks:  Jet Black Archival Ink (Ranger), Night of Navy; Stampin' Write Markers: Blush Blossom (retired), Crushed Curry, Melon Mambo; Card Stock:  Crushed Curry, Night of Navy, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  3/8" Lost Lagoon Satin Ribbon, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Linen Thread, Button (from my stash), Project Life Pen (used to define her lashes), Blender Pen, Paper Snips, Stampin' Trimmer, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

The colors I used are from the Colour Me...! Challenge.

The sketch I used is from the Fab Friday Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Sunday Christmas Card Challenges #21

Good Sunday morning to you all!  We have an "Anything Goes" challenge for you this week at Christmas Card Challenges.  It's one of my favorites but it is also one that sometimes has me puzzling about what to do.  It's easy when someone else tells you what to do but another thing when you have to figure it out all by yourself.  This one is a very simple one and uses one of my favorite retired stamp sets called Bells & Boughs.  Soon to be retired is the Boho Blossom Punch so I thought it would make for some pretty Christmas flowers.

Stamp Set:  Bells & Boughs (retired); Inks:  Always Artichoke, Tuxedo Black Memento; Card Stock:  Naturals White; Accessories & Tools:  Boho Blossom Punch, Extra-Large Oval Punch, Scallop Oval Punch, 3/8" Mossy Meadow Stitched Satin Ribbon, 1/8" Silver Mini Brads, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, Stampin' Trimmer

Come join us and share what you create.  We'd love to see you at Christmas Card Challenges.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

CAS(E) this Sketch #120

Tomorrow is going to find me away from home as I'll be at my youngest son, Mike's, so he can fix two things on my car that have to be done before the alignment.  I'm so blessed to have a son who is able to take care of my car for me.  His brother, Wayne, calls him the Spock of cars.  All Mike has to do is mind meld with a car and tell you what it wrong with it.  There is a whole story about how I have this different car.  I'll share it with you sometime next week.  For now, here is the card I made for the current challenge at CAS(E) this Sketch.  I'm thinking it could also be used as a birthday card.

I love the simplicity of this sketch!  The Daffodil Delight background along with the Whisper White sure make the Blackberry Bliss flowers pop!  The Painted Petals stamp set is one I'm hoping carries over into the upcoming new Annual Catalog.  We'll just have to wait and see.

Stamp Sets:  Crazy about You (sentiment), Gorgeous Grunge, Painted Petals; Inks:  Blackberry Bliss, Daffodil Delight, Mossy Meadow, Sahara Sand; Card Stock:  Mossy Meadow, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Pearl Basic Jewels, Snail Adhesive, Stampin' Trimmer

You can find the sketch and all the challenge details at CAS(E) this Sketch.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

The Friday Mashup Challenge #206

Well, today is my last time as a Guest Designer for The Friday Mashup!  I have so enjoyed being a part of their team.  Be sure to come join us for this week's challenge.  It's all about umbrellas and polka dots.  You can do either umbrellas or polka dots or you can "mash" it up and do both.  As you can see I did both with a polka dot umbrella.  I took a piece of the Irresistibly Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper and sponged it with Soft Sky ink to make the polka dots pop.  It's all mounted on a piece of paper from the Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack.  It looked like raindrops to me so I though it would be a great background for the umbrella.

Stamp Set:  Sincere Salutations (retired); Inks:  Night of Navy, Soft Sky; Card Stock:  Irresistibly Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper (retired), Moonlight Designer Series Paper Stack, Lost Lagoon, Night of Navy, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Scallop Oval Punch, Extra-Large Oval Punch, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Dimensionals, Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, Blending Tool, Paper Snips, Stampin' Trimmer

All of the challenge details can be found at The Friday Mashup Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Freshly Made Sketches #183

Well, I finally found some time to spend in my craft studio.  I've been doing some spring cleaning and that always means less time to craft.  Today's card found me using up scraps that have accumulated on my desk.  I love the Calypso Coral with the Night of Navy and I can't get enough of that Painted Petals stamp set.

It's late here, just after midnight, so I'm off to get some sleep.  I'm headed over to Perkins in the morning to enjoy some coffee and work on getting a whole bunch of cards addressed and in the mail.  I'm so far behind on thank yous and thinking of yous that it's going to be an all morning project.  Good thing Perkins has some mighty find coffee!

Stamp Sets:  Endless Birthday Wishes, Painted Petals; Inks:  Night of Navy, Wild Wasabi; Card Stock:  Calypso Coral, Night of Navy, Whisper White;  Accessories & Tools:  Square Lattice Embossing Folder (retired), All Is Calm Washi Tape (retired), Frosted Sequins (retired), Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive, Glue Dots, Stampin' Trimmer

The sketch I used is the one found at Freshly Made Sketches.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

A Work in Progress

The last two days have been super busy so I've not been able to spend much time in my craft studio.  However, I did manage to get a few butterflies stamped and punched and die cut to add to the wall above my dining room table.  I plan to add more as time allows.  Two of the frames are deep enough that I can add some dimension to the inside.  Now I just have to figure out what that will be.  I also need to move a couple of the frames around and will share that when it is done.  For now, here is what I've done so far.

Stamp Sets:  Kinda Eclectic, Nature's Perfection; Inks:  Blackberry Bliss, Blushing Bride, Crushed Curry, Pacific Point, Rose Red; Card Stock:  Adventure Bound, Blushing Bride, Painted Blossoms Designer Series Paper, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Butterflies Thinlits Dies, Elegant Butterfly Punch, Pearl Basic Jewels, Large Pearl Basic Jewels (retired), Dimensionals

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Sunday Christmas Card Challenge #20

Another week has come and gone and it's time for a new Christmas Card Challenge.  Use the inspiration photo for your next project and share it with us on the blog.  We'd love to see your interpretation.  I kept mine very basic and very simple.  With everything going on past week, it's a wonder I'm still sane.  Design team cards, challenge cards, a blog hop and a new car.  Oh yes, it was definitely a full week.

Stamp Set:  Christmas Candles - sentiment (Flourishes); Ink:  Chocolate Chip;  Card Stock:  Chocolate Chip, Irresistibly Yours Specialty Designer Series Paper, Whisper White; Accessories & Tools:  Cherry Cobbler 1" Sheer Linen Ribbon (retired), Scallop Trim Corner Punch (retired), Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Dimensionals, SNAIL Adhesive, Glue Dots

You can find all the challenge details at Christmas Card Challenges.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercolor Challenge #22

Are you ready for another Watercooler Challenge?  This one is all about watercolor and silhouette.  While I'm not sure you would consider this one a true silhouette given it simply fills in the blanks with color, in all honesty, this is the one that turned out the best.  I can't begin to tell you how many times I started a project and made some kind of glaring mistake.  So, I simplified everything and you see the result below.

We would love to see what you create using the challenge.  Be sure to link your project by Friday, April 24th at 7:30 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time.  You could be the next winner!

Stamp Set:  Butterfly Basics; Inks:  Crushed Curry, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz, Wisteria Wonder, VersaMark Embossing Ink; Card Stock:  Basic Black, Watercolor Paper, Wisteria Wonder; Accessories & Tools:  Basic Black Embossing Powder, 3/8" Mossy Meadow Stitched Satin Ribbon, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, Dimensionals, Heat Tool, Stampin' Trimmer

The inspiration comes from the current Watercooler Challenges.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Our Daily Bread Designs Shining Light Challenge #234

You know, sometimes a project starts out as one thing and ends up as another.  For now this is actually a card but I'm thinking I just might frame it and hang it on the wall.  Maybe a shadow box?  Since it's after 1 a.m. and my youngest son will be here at 8 a.m. for a full day of running errands, I am keeping this down to a very short post.  I wanted to get this project done for the current Our Daily Bread Designs Shining Light Challenge and knew that my time was running out. 

Stamp Set:  House Blessing (Our Daily Bread Designs); Inks:  Early Espresso (Stampin' Up!), Vintage Photo (Tim Holtz); Card Stock:  Botanical Tea (Graphic 45), Marina Mist and Very Vanilla (Stampin' Up!); Accessories & Tools:  Blackberry Bliss Thick Baker's Twine and Large Pearl Basic Jewels (Stampin' Up!) , Glue Dots, SNAIL Adhesive, Dimensionals, Stampin' Trimmer

The sketch I used is from the Our Daily Bread Designs Shining Light 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