Second Cups

What a great time it is checking in for more and more of the great cards that you all are making for the latest edition of Amy and Chaitali's Coffee Lover's Bloghop!

Back again for my 'second cup'. [I might be more than a pot down, actually =] My husband was by my side this morning as I followed the group on Facebook ... this is another of Tom's quips - and he doesn't even drink coffee!!!

A little PC Word and one darling little Verve bean stamp just says it all!

 

By the way...you do know that we love tea and cocoa drinkers, too, right?

Have you heard the news [screams of joy]?

I really don't know what I've done to deserve to 'play cards' with these fantastic girls? But, I am so happy to join The 12 Kits of Occasions group!  I am enjoying the camaraderie, fun, and fabulous goodies I received this month!

Wow!  I couldn't believe all the gorgeous die-cuts, design papers, and embellies sent by this month's hostess, Sharron Gregory of On Papillion Wings.  Sharron couldn't have known how happy I'd be to receive all these bird supplies!

So! Using some of my favorites [no way could I have used them all in one sitting], I've created a few cards - hope you [and the girls] like them:

My first attempt at bokeh, using an alpha 

set from Hero Arts -

of course the YOU is inside!

 

You may recognize these little guys? =]

This time they are "tying the knot!"

 

Have you guessed the sentiment?

"Falling in love with you 20 years ago was easy...

the fireworks? 

Still there after all these years!"

 

A duo!  Love that these dies had mirrored images!

 

And last but not least, a little tag!

 

 

In my imaginary world of cards, baby birds get to eat pretty twine all day!

 

I can't thank the group more for inviting me into the 12 Kits of Occasions club... Sharron, thank you, especially for making my first month so enjoyable!!

 

Spring Coffee Lover's Bloghop

Haven't we all looked forward to the Spring Coffee Lover's Blog-Hop? Great big thanks to Amy and Chaitali for again hosting this fun place to share our love of the java-juice!

Here's my addition to an already amazing line-up of cards!  And have you seen the list of prizes?  AWESOME!!!

I was fortunate to be one of the Holiday Blog-hop winners... thank you very much Verve!! Their Coffee set included this adorable mug. Honestly, I don't think I've ever used as many different products from as many different companies on one card!

Supplies:
Verve Coffee vs-0219 and VSDC-063 Cuppa Joe die.
Reverse Confetti Sugary Sweet Sentiments and Tag Me Too dies.
SSS Tiny tags dies.
Winnie & Walter's Party Confetti Cutaways.
Mama Elephant Dainty Bow Creative Cuts.
My Mind's Eye In Bloom patterned paper.

So run on over to the Hop to join in for all the fun - Amy and Chaitali are fabulous hosts - and you know I'll be going in for Second Cups!

=]

Second Course - Fusion {Bowties and Other Things!}

I have not used that gorgeous Mama Elephant Creative Cuts Window I adore in some time... perfect for the arrangement in the Fusion Challenge sketch this week. 

 Combine that with M.E. itsy bitsy bowties [oh, oh - I may now be writing a new children's song in my head]
and here is your second course:

Window cut from a panel of Neenah, lined with a slip of vellum, backed with Audrey Blue, and who needs blinds when one can have bowties?  A darling sentiment [love that font] from Clearly Besotted's Sketched Blooms. Note: here is an idea of just how bitsy those bowties are: the blue stripe is the tear-away from a 6x6 pad of paper!

A new little photo from the "View from My Room" file:

"This town ain't big enough for the both of us..."

Have a fabulous day... TGIF!
=]



Fusion Card Challenge {Bowties and Other Things!} Seeing Stars!

I could not run to my craft space fast enough to get on this Fusion challenge... you should expect every course on the menu from me for this particular challenge... consider yourselves forewarned! Have you seen anything cuter than those bow-ties today?

Appetizer course - a little star action:

SSS blue cardstock base and sentiment; NEW Heidi Swapp embossing folder for the postage-stamp-edged, Mama Elephant die cut white layer - phew!  Mama E's tiny-bitty bow tie die. 

 

I'll be tucking this one away for my granddaughter Lola who will be starring as a Munchkin in her elementary school's 

production of The Wizard of Oz in March!



CAS(E) This Sketch #112

Check out the newest sketch, from our fabulous leader, Chrissy Larson... you are going to have such fun with this one, I promise!!

 

Here is my take on CTS #112, using my newest Winnie & Walter Cheers Cutaway, and a simple pink/white palette, adding just a bit of interest with dry embossing, and a dash of sequined champagne bubbles!

 



My fellow design team members have done incredible things using Chrissy's fabulous lead... and I cannot wait to see your own individuality shine through! 

Will you play cards with us this week?  Hope so!
=]
 

Runway Inspired Challenge #78 DKNY

Another gorgeous model, this time sporting DKNY:



I definitely was drawn to those fabulous coral and grey lines... but it was the backdrop, and chevron shapes, and squares I chose for the base of my card. 

For RIC #78 DKNY:

Supplies: Cosmo Cricket's 2wenty-Thr3e mini deck of papers; Cricut embossing folder; Reverse Confetti's Chevron Dies; SSS Slate CS and sentiment.

CASology Week 135: MINI



I've had such a great time with the Pond Frogs... how could I resist using another from the collection for the latest CASology cue? 

For Week #135, and a tip of my hat to Ardyth for her 4.25" square masterpieces:

 Supplies: Pond Frogs from Poppystamps; Wplus9 Lucky Stars sentiment; and Word.

 

While on the subject of Ardyth... a perfect segue to Muse Card Club Challenge, eh? I am thrilled to see Shona as our guest designer this week - LOve her creative brilliance!!!

 

Here is my little take on her Muse card - I did go just a teensy bit rogue, but wanted to use my latest buy from Mama Elephant, the Freestyle Florals. I chose to cut away the strip I chose to water-color from the front of the card, and add it to the back-inside.

 

I stamped the flowers from the set, masked them, then stamped the leaves - all with Versamark - onto a piece of watercolor paper*, white heat-embossed them, then used Distress Inks to color them. The sentiment is from that lovely Hero Arts set Chriss sent to me.

 

*As a relative "newbie" to our wonderful Land of Blog, there probably isn't anything new I could add to your world.  But I just purchased a new pad of watercolor paper last week and found one that I LOve, that scores beautifully so it is also perfect for a card-base: Artist's Loft - Acid free, cold press 140lb. paper with a lovely creamy-white color. LOVE!





Time Out Challenge #25 and Poppystamp's My Love #5

Time is something we all take for granted, isn't it?  Until we get to a certain age and every day feels like a gift.  Why is it that we don't always feel this way? at any age?  Maybe it's just me, how do you feel about it?

Time Out's Challenge #25 gives us each a chance to Rock Around the Clock in our own way.  Today, I give you Tom's favorite words on the subject of time:

I've happily received this darling set of Pond Frogs from Poppystamps... I simply couldn't resist them after Marybeth Lopez used them here in my honor.

I'm also going to submit this to the Poppystamps Challenge #5 My Love... since it was created with my love's idea of time, and we are celebrating 20 years of marriage in May. What a cute anniversary card!

Reverse Confetti February SFYTT

 

 

A really quick post for Reverse Confetti's February Sketch For You To Try - where TRY is the key word for me when it comes to layering. 

The design team at RC just does this layering thing so well, don't they? Do go check them out!

Here is the sketch:



Here is my attempt at it:

Supplies: Office Edges for the detail on the pocket protector; Class Act for the pocket protector; and Sugary Sentiments for the Nerdy words. 

I'm happy with it ... it reminds me of my nerdy husband - and I mean that in the very best sense of the word =]

Have a great weekend, my friends... see you on the flip side!

CAS(E) This Sketch #111

There is a really fun sketch this week from Lesley Croghan - you are missed, and I still have the shoe-stretchers in those fabulous shoes, Lesley! Take a peek:

 

I'll only be taking a teensy bit of liberty with this sketch... promise!!

 

For CTS #111 I've revisited a wonderful little 6x6 from Anna Griffin called Olivia, cut with SSS stitched square, and added a little twice-die-cut flower from Paper Smooches. There is that darling little 3/4" square sentiment from PTI again - this time embossed in Platinum on a tiny SSS stitched square - fits perfectly!

 



I am in dire need of something Spring-like as we've had another helping of that four letter word! =/

CASology - Week 134... Monochrome Grey

... and here is the flower, one I just received yesterday and could not wait to put the shovel down to try... yes, shovel!  12 fresh fluffy inches of it: 12"x24'x48'= a sore back today, and more of it today!  Ugh.

This made me feel better:

 

PTI Soft Stone CS, SSS ink and die, SU embossing, and Clearly Besotted stamp.

 

For CASology:

 

 

 Please zoom in.  The detail on that stamp is magnificent. Thanks for stopping in!  Grab a shovel!
=]

CASology Week 134 - Cue word: Monochrome

This may sound really silly to everyone, but my favorite color, next to orange, is grey.  So it was no surprise that my card[s] for CASology's #134 weekly cue will be grey... and I adored Hazel's inspiration.

First course:

I think I've missed the call to CAS lately... hope this revives me a bit... you'll see the missing flower during the next course =]

Muse Marion

This week we have the oh-so-talented, Marion back with a lovely inspiration card - see for yourself:

 

Marion has a way with blue that I've never seen anywhere else in Blog-land.

 

While I'd love to think that I could recreate that sky, the truth of it is I really stink at blending... even with the proper tools, paper, inks I probably wouldn't do well.  But we can't all be great at all things... I'll leave Marion, Vicki and Ardyth to add their blending magic to your world.

 

So here is my card for Muse #105 and Marion:

 



 

This wonderful Hero Arts' sentiment is part of a wonderful surprise

from Chriss recently... thank you, darling friend!

 

Second helpings?

- a little Ardyth-esque number!

 

The Sparkle stamp set is a darling little freebie with purchase

 from Winnie & Walter!!   

 

Hmmm... who does this remind you of? 

You get one guess!

 

I can't wait to see what each of you creates!

=]

Birthday party for my little French friend!

I would be so happy to have that famous magical nose, as I'd wiggle my way to France today to celebrate this beautiful friend:

But, alas, it isn't possible.  So a few of my feathered friends stopped by to celebrate you, Anita... enjoy a frozen drink, or two and know that I celebrate our friendship daily!

 

 Mother Nature took care of that salted rim!!

 

Happiest of birthdays, Mon Amie! xoxoxo

Second Helpings - Positively Inkspirational

From my last post, this comes as no surprise...
that little positive die-cut just needed some love.  This time, it's all about the gorgeous creamy white... and a little bit of selective embossing with my Dad's hammer... yes, you read that correctly. For Inspirational #76:

PTI Vintage Cream, Smoky Slate CS, and Botanical Block sentiment embossed in Pewter;

Wood-grain embossing folder and Dad's hammer!

Inkspirational #76

I am still learning, tweaking, observing when it comes to my design style... Inkspirational #76, and their inspiration photo, has given me the perfect platform to do just that... check it out:

I am totally taken by this gorgeous photo, and all things Asian-inspired, really.  My [first] card takes into consideration the branches and colors - even the peachy tones of this beauty's skin.

Where I would normally cut my cover-layer a bit smaller than the card-base, I've chosen to go straight to the edge this time.

Now you know there will positively be seconds using that die-cut, right?

Hope you stop by for a visit... life is definitely a bit walls-closing-in for me with the Winter weather we're having... =]

Paper: My Mind's Eye - Sunshine and a scrap
Die: Dynamics Fern
Stamp: PTI Botanical Blocks

Fusion Dessert

Another?  Yes - one must have dessert - seriously!

This time from Echo Park and a bit of a Fusion between photo and sketch:

 

That's it!  Off to do the dishes!

Second helpings of Fusion Orange/Teal/Brown Challenge

I did warn you, right? The colors for the Fusion Challenge this week just coincidentally fit right into the Hey Boy collection of papers from BasicGrey... I know - not new - but you already know that I'm often late to the party, so I won't apologize... they are awesome!!

For those of you who maybe haven't seen the Challenge photo:

 

 This time, I chose the sketch for submission:

 

Hey Boy papers, but with the added a touch of gold embossing as seen on the wallpaper in the inspiration photo... it's there, go look!!

I'm already checking the seed catalogs for brown zinnias... wouldn't that be a treat in the garden?  No? 

Fusion Challenge: Orange, Teal, Brown

By now you know I love orange... it is cheerful, bright, and stunning on a card.  So imagine my delight when I received the newest challenge announcement from Fusion!  Voila:

 

 To the craft-cave!! and Bob's your Uncle:

Combine one awesome chocolate brown hounds-tooth from a very awesome friend in TX -thank you Chriss - with a bit of fantastic orange design paper, and a Technique Tuesday few sentiments that couldn't be more true... let's go indeed... and that is how I was inspired by this beautiful photo.

You have to know there will be second helpings, right?

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day everyone - we'll be snuggling for sure with the sub zero temps we're having here in Michigan... no complaints from me! =]