Coffee Lover

I have another card for the Summer Coffee Lover's Challenge. This time I colored a coffee mug in bright colors before fussy cutting it. Some "steam" was stamped on a circle die cut. I ran the tip of a Memento Tuxedo Black marker around the edges of the mug after I fussy cut it. The cup was popped up over the matted circle. Star Dust stickles were added to the steam and the rim design on the mug.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), Recollections (black), Unknown (yellow card base)
Patterned Paper: Basic Gray (Picadilly 6 x 6 - retired)
Copics: BG13, 15; Y13, 15, 17; YR07, 16, 18
Stamps: Verve Digital Stamps (Rise & Shine, Three Cheers), Doodle Bug clear stamps (Love Spell)
Ink: VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Tools/Embellishments: Memento Tuxedo Black marker, Stickles (Star Dust), MAMBI gem, Spellbinders Standard Circle dies (Large and Small)

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:
Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Crop Stop June Challenge - Use an item or brand found in the Crop Stop store (I used Spellbinders, Fiskars trimmer, Stickles, and Cuttlebug)
CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Use Patterned Paper
Dare 2B Artzy - Summer

Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you have a fantastic weekend!!

Barista Brentwood Owl

I'm back with another card for the Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop. I love this adorable digi image of Brentwood Owl with his coffee travel mug. It was so much fun to color with Copics. I stamped a sentiment on his cup sleeve with VersaFine ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. It adds a subtle texture and shine. For a little more shine, the hearts on the sleeve and on his overalls were coated with Glossy Accents. The image was die cut and matted before being adhered to some fun summery papers.

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Studio Heavy Weight (card base), Georgia Pacific (white for image), Simon Says Stamp (Soft Navy)
Patterned Paper: Echo Park (Just Be You 6 x 6 pad)
Stamps: JessicaLynn Original (Barista Coffee Brentwood Owl), Fiskar's clear stamp set (Latte Love)
Ink: VersaFine (Onyx Black)
Copics: E31, 33, 35, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43; Y11, 13, 15, 35, 38; R24, 27, 29; N0, 1, 3, 5; B000, 32, 34, 39; YG03, 05, 07
Dies: Spellbinders Standard Circles Large & Small
Other: Glossy Accents, Simon Says Stamp Fine Detail Embossing Powder (clear)

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:
CrafyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Use Patterned Paper
Deep Ocean Challenge #158 - Lots of Layers
Crop Stop Challenge #29 - Use items or brands found in the Crop Stop online store (I used Fiskar's trimmer and stamps, Cuttlebug, Glossy Accents, Scotch ATG, and Spellbinders)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by today. I appreciate you taking the time to visit.

Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop

It's time for the Summer Coffee Lover's Blog Hop and I wanted to play along. This card features the free digi that Jessica Lynn Original Stamps has available (after the hop it will no longer be free). You can download it here. Thanks, Jessica!!


The image was colored with copics and accented with a white gel pen before being die cut with a rectangular die. I wanted to keep the focus on the adorable owl drinking his morning coffee (or maybe my favorite, cappuccino) so I kept the rest of the card pretty simple. A sentiment on a banner die cut and some twine finish it off.

Supplies:
Cardstock: The Paper Studio Heavy Weight (white card base), Georgia Pacific (white for image), Bazzill (Bitter Chocolate)
Patterned Paper: Basic Gray (Out of Print 6 x 6 - retired)
Stamps: Jessica Lynn Originals (2017 Summer Coffee Lovers Blog Hop Digital Stamp), Fiskars clear stamp set (Latte Love)
Ink: Taylored Expressions (Chocolate Truffle)
Copics: E07, 08, 09, 31, 33, 35, 37, 41, 42, 43, 44; N0, 1, 3, 5; Y38, 11, 13, 15, 17; B21, 23, 26; YG03, 05, 07
Dies: Our Daily Bread Designs (Double Stitched Rectangles), WRMK (Party Banner)
Other: Twine-Wright's, Gelly Roll white gel pen

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:
CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Use patterned paper
Deep Ocean Challenge #158 - Lots of Layers
Crop Stop Challenge #29 - Use items or brands found in the Crop Stop store (I used Fiskars paper trimmer and stamp set, Bazzill cardstock, Cuttlebug, and Scotch ATG)

Thanks for stopping by to visit.  I hope you'll come back and visit again soon. I'll have another card for the hop on my blog tomorrow.

Everlasting Love

Hi! Thanks for coming to visit today. It's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday. We are looking at Jeremiah 31:3 today, "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Dictionary.com says that "everlasting" means eternal, forever, and incessant and "eternal" means without beginning or ending. So God's love for us has always been. There was never a time in eternity past that He has not loved us nor a time in eternity future that He will not love us. WOW!! Now that is mind-boggling. And it's because of that great love for us that He draws us to Himself. He wants a close relationship with us because He loves us. Think on that for a while and that fact should brighten your day.

Our sponsor this week is the fabulous one-stop-shop, Simon Says Stamp. I used several of their products to make this card using MOJO Monday Sketch 418. In this card, the patterned paper does all the work. The flowers were stamped with VersaMark on patterned paper and the flower centers were stamped on soft navy cardstock before being heat embossed and then die cut. Sequins and Star Dust Stickles accent the flower centers in the background paper.

Supplies:
Simon Says Stamp Items:
Stamps - Artful Flowers
Dies - Designer Flowers
Cardstock - Soft Navy
Sequins - Assorted Moonshine
Fine Detail embossing powder - white

Other items:
Sketch - Mojo Monday 418
Cardstock - Georgia Pacific
Patterned Paper - Echo Park (Just Be You  6 x 6 pad)
Ink - VersaMark
Other Items: Star Dust Stickles, Glossy Accents

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Hiding in My Craft Room #305 - Feminine
CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Use Patterned Paper
Mod Squad Challenge - Colorful Creations
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Use Patterned Paper

I hope you will have time to visit the Word Art Wednesday blog to see the rest of the Design Team projects. Be sure to link up your own family-friendly projects for an opportunity to win a gift card to Simon Says Stamp. Thanks again for visiting with me today.

Blessed are They

Happy Wednesday!! It's time for a new challenge at Word Art Wednesday. This week our focus verse is Matthew 5:6, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Life requires us to attempt to do many things without knowing whether we will be successful or not. We try out for a choir, a part in a play, a spot on a team, apply to get a job or into a particular school, etc., and then have to wait to see if we will achieve what we desire. We have no guarantees of our success. However, this week's verse tells us that when we try to live a godly life (hunger and thirst after righteousness) the Lord will help us be successful (they shall be filled). So many people see God as this Being up in Heaven that either isn't concerned with our daily lives or is waiting to bop us on the head whenever we do something He doesn't like. They totally miss the blessing of Him being the loving Father that wants to help us. He wants us to succeed and if we'll do our part, He will help us live a godly life.

This week's card uses the 500th sketch from Mojo Monday. Julee, the owner of the site, announced that this would be the last sketch. I have used (and will continue) Mojo Monday sketches and will greatly miss them. I kept thinking that my vertical strips were just missing something. It wasn't until the card was completely assembled that I realized I should have matted the strips. Ah well....next time.

I let my papers do most of the talking on this card. A black glaze pen was used on the bird's beak and eye for a little subtle dimension. Wink of Stella was used on the bird as well for some shimmer. I'm not sure if you can see the shimmer in the picture above. The flower centers were embellished with bling.

The verse was popped up for dimension but will still allow for easy mailing. I did a small amount of interior decorating as well.

Supplies:
Card Base: Studio G
Stamps: WORDart by Karen
Cardstock: Cordinations (navy, pink), Kraft Outlet (kraft), Georgia Pacific (white)
Patterned Paper: American Crafts
Tools/Embellishments: Gelly Roll Glaze Pen (black), Wink of Stella clear glitter marker, ribbon (Kraft Outlet), The Paper Studio (bling), Spellbinders dies (Classic Squares Large and Small)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Dare 2B Artzy Challenge - Summer
Crazyhazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge - Use Patterned Paper
Come and Get It Challenge - Anything Goes

Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you'll visit the Word Art Wednesday blog and link up a project or two for your chance to win a wonderful prize.

Cats Leave Pawprints

Sadly, I needed a pet sympathy card when my co-worker's cat passed away unexpectedly. I was glad I had this Simon Says Stamp Pawprints on Our Hearts stamp set in my collection. It has both dog and cat sympathy sentiments and several sizes of pawprint and heart images. I used the Operation Write Home Sketch #219 for the card design.

I carried the pawprint theme to the interior as well. I am so glad I picked up this stamp set to have on hand for occasions like this.

Simon Says Stamp is this sponsor for this week's Word Art Wednesday challenge. Why not check out the details on the WAW blog and join us for an opportunity to win a SSS shopping spree?


Supplies:
Sketch: Operation Write Home Sketch 219
Cardstock: The Paper Studio Heavy Weight (white card base), Georgia Pacific (white), Bazzill (Bitter Chocolate)
Patterned Paper: 3 Bugs in a Rug (Frisky)
Stamp Set: Simon Says Stamp (Pawprints on Our Hearts)
Ink: VersaMark, Taylored Expressions (Chocolate Truffle)
Tools/Embellishments: Spellbinders Dies (Standard Circles Large & Small), Simon Says Stamp Fine Detail Embossing Powder (white)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Furry Friends
Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned Paper Challenge - Use patterned paper
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #344 - Anything Goes
Creative Craft Cottage #88 - Include an Animal
Come and Get It Challenge - Emboss It (a sentiment is embossed on the black cardstock strip and the pawprint on the interior is also heat embossed)
Deep Ocean Challenge #155 - Our Furry or Feathered Friends

Thanks for stopping by to visit today. I hope you have a great weekend.

As the Hart

It's time for a new challenge at Word Art Wednesday. Our challenge focus verse this week is Psalm 42:1, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." That is a fantastic word picture of how we should desire to be close to the Lord. Just as animals seek out water in brooks and streams on a very regular basis, so should we desire to get to know the Lord. This closeness with the Lord comes from time spent in His Word and in prayer. I have been praying lately that the Lord would increase my desire to spend time reading my Bible. It's so easy in the busy-ness of life to let our personal time with the Lord become just one more thing to check off on our to-do lists. That's not the way our time with the Lord should be and not the relationship I want to have with Him. I want to be more like the hart in today's verse.

Today's card features a new die set I was recently able to purchase. It's the Blueprints 29 Die-namics set by My Favorite Things. Our sponsor this week is Simon Says Stamp (SSS) and I was able to purchase this die set from them. I also used some SSS Soft Navy cardstock for the frame (two frames were layered on top of each other for dimension and for the background mat. The SSS Delicate Thistle die was used to cut out the thistle from plain white cardstock which was then inked using Distress Inks. Then the die cut was cut apart to use in the two bottom openings in the die cut frame. I'm not totally pleased with their placement and if I had it to do over again, I would die cut two thistles and have the frames filled a little more. An embossing folder adds some texture behind the thistles. Some SSS Moonshine sequins were scattered across the card front and accented with Star Dust Stickles. One of the stitched tab dies from the Blueprints 29 set was used to hold the Praying for You sentiment from the retired SSS Always and Forever stamp set.

Simon Says Stamp supplies:
Soft Navy Cardstock
Delicate Thistle Die
Moonshine Sequins 
Always & Forever stamp set (retired)

Additional Supplies (items linked to SSS store where available):
Cardstock: Georgia Pacific (white), The Paper Studio Heavy Weight (card base)
Patterned Paper: Echo Park (Just Be You 6 x 6 pad)
Stamps:  WORDart by Karen
Ink: Versafine (Onyx Black), Distress Inks
Dies: My Favorite Things (Blueprint 29)
Embellishments/Tools: Cuttlebug Embossing folder (Basket Weave), Wink of Stella glitter brush pen (Clear), Stickles (Star Dust)

This card has been entered in the following challenges:
CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Must use patterned paper
Tuesday Throwndown Challenge #344 - Anything Goes
Come and Get It Challenge - Emboss It (I used dry embossing behind the thistles)

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you will take the time to visit the Word Art Wednesday blog to see what the other designers have made and to pick up your free digi. Please also be sure to visit Simon Says Stamp - they truly are a one-stop shop.

Sign It Kidz Flowers

Hello! I hope you are having a good week. It's time for another challenge at Word Art Wednesday. This week we are going to the book of beginnings, Genesis, for our inspiration. Genesis 28:15 states, "And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." The context of this verse is that Jacob is leaving home and going to Haran to visit his mother's family. He falls asleep and the Lord comes to him in a dream and gives him this promise. The Lord tells Jacob that even though he's going to a far away land to live among people he doesn't know, the Lord will be with him wherever he goes and that someday He'll bring Jacob back to his homeland. How comforted Jacob must have been! The Lord has given similar promises to those who have put their faith and trust in Him. In Hebrews 13:5, the Lord promises, "...I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." John 14:3 tells us that He's preparing a place for us and that He'll come back to get us and take us to our new Home. What great and precious promises for the Believer!

For my card this week, I used the current sketch from MOJO Monday for the card design (I rotated the sketch a quarter turn). This week Word Art Wednesday has three wonderful sponsors. Bugaboo Stamps is one of them and provided me with this Sign It Kidz Flowers digi image to use. I had so much fun coloring this little girl and her sign. I will definitely be using her again. Her sign is so versatile and would hold just about any sentiment (digi or otherwise). Thanks Jodie for the fun digi!!

I colored the image with Copics and added some sparkle to all the flower centers with some stickles. It's been a long time since I colored, I've missed it...and I'm out of practice!

Supplies used:
Card Base - Studio G 5 x 5 square card
Cardstock - Recollections (black), Georgia Pacific (white)
Patterned Paper - Glitz Design (Felicity)
Stamps - WORDart by Karen, Bugaboo Stamps (Sign It Kidz Flowers)
Copics - Y12, 21, 24; R20, 81, 83, 85; E00, 11, 33; B0000, 000, 00, 02, 04
Tools/Embellishments: Lawn Fawn Dies (Everyday Sentiment Banners), Stickles (Star Dust)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
MOJO Monday #496 - Sketch
Mod Squad Challenge - Let's Color
Outlawz Color Challenge - Use 3 colors from the inspiration picture
Dare 2B Artzy - Girly
Crafty Hazlenuts Patterned Paper Challenge - Use Patterned Paper
Crop Stop Challenge - Use a product or brand found in the Crop Stop Store (I used Ranger Stickles, Cuttlebug, Fiskars, and Scotch ATG) Crop Stop is having a fun giveaway. Check it out here.

I hope you will check out the Word Art Wednesday blog for details on how you can win one of three prizes this week and also to pick up your free digi. The projects from the rest of the design team are sure to inspire you as well. Thanks for visiting with me today. I hope you'll come back again soon.

Happy 26th Anniversary

I was recently asked to make an anniversary card for some friends of ours. I was more than happy to do so and thought it would be the perfect time to play with some goodies that I won in Our Daily Bread Design's recent birthday celebration. This couple are still deeply in love - even 26 years later! She is a card-maker and he loves to help her in the craft room. They make a great team!! Their main wedding color was purple so I went with shades of that in the card design. The darker purple cardstock has sparkle all through it. I cut and embossed the "2" and the "6" from the Large Number Dies out of a dark purple sparkly cardstock and also from a light purple cardstock. The sentiment from the Celebration clear stamp set was white heat embossing on the lighter purple cardstock. The dies and stamp set are also available in the 2017 Anniversary Bundle. I used a banner die to  cut out some purple polka dotted patterned paper and layered patterned vellum over it.

I chose to make this an easel card for an extra special touch. The polka dot patterned paper was matted on some light purple cardstock and again covered with the vellum before being adhered to the bottom in the card interior with foam squares. This provides the stopper so that the easel part of the card will stand up. I created a custom sentiment for the interior of the card and matted it with the light purple cardstock. Some layered die cut hearts and purple bling finish off the card.

Supplies:
Cardstock: Bazzill (both purple cardstocks), The Paper Studio (Heavyweight white)
Patterned Paper: The Paper Studio (purple polka dot and patterned vellum)
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs (Celebration clear stamp set)
Ink: Versamark
Dies: Our Daily Bread Designs (Large Number Dies), Lawn Fawn (Hearts), My Favorite Things (Wavy Edge Die), WRMK-Lifestyle Nesting Dies (Party Banner)
Other: Simon Says Stamp (Fine Detail Embossing Powder-white), Studio G (purple bling)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Mod Squad Challenge - Love Theme
Hiding in My Craft Room #299- Freestyle
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Tuesday Throwdown #340 - Embossing (I used both heat and dry)
Outlawz Paper A La Mode Challenge - Use items beginning with the first letter of my name (sentiment, six, sparkle and spots)

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. I hope you'll come back soon

Watercolor Panel Card Set

Today is my last project as a Guest Designer for the Crop Stop Blog. For today's project, I decided to make a set of cards. Instead of making each card in the set match exactly, I chose to make them coordinate by using the same card design and patterned papers from the same company (all but one of the papers are even from the same 6x6 pad). Black cardstock was used for matting to also help tie the set design together. I had some 3 x 4 pre-printed water color panels that I water colored using Distress inks and markers. For the inks, I smooshed them on my craft sheet and then spritzed them with water using a mini-mister to make the "paint." I used a small paintbrush to apply the color to the image. For the distress markers, I colored right on the panel and then moved the color around with a brush and plain water. After they dried, I stamped sentiments on three of them with Versafine ink and the added some Wink of Stella for a little shimmer. Below are closeups of each card.

 The golden yellow strip is from the Basic Gray Urban Luxe 6x6 paper pad. It also uses a coordinating embossing folder and embossing border folder from Anna Giffin.

Supplies from the Crop Stop Shop:
Distress Pads - various colors
Distress Markers - various colors

Cricut Cuttlebug - Machine, Spacer A, Cutting Pad B, Adapter C

Inkssentials - Mini Misters

Scotch ATG Adhesive Applicator
Scotch Advanced Tape Glider Refills (ATG)

Scor-Buddy

Fiskars Triple Track Cutting Blades 

Brands found in the Crop Stop Shop:
Cricut Cuttlebug - Embossing Folder - Anna Griffin-  Juliette Lace folder and border folder
Zig - Wink of Stella Brush marker - Clear
Tsukineko - VersaFine ink - Onyx Black

Other Items Used -
Recollections cardstock - black
The Paper Studio heavyweight cardstock - white
Basic Gray 6 x 6 pads - Hillside (retired), Urban Luxe (retired)
Taylored Expressions 3x4 Watercolor Panels - Keep in Touch
Kaisercraft clear stamp set - Secret Garden (Cards 1 & 2 above)
My Sentiments Exactly clear stamp set - Inspirational Birthday Innies and Outies (Card 3 above)
Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps die - Lacey Eyelet Border (retired)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Dare 2B Artzy - Anything Goes
CraftyHazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - must use patterned paper
Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge -Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by to visit with me today. I hope you'll come back soon. Thanks again to Esther and the Crop Stop Shop for allowing me the honor of being a Guest Designer for the blog these last two weeks.