FBW is Coming Back!

I am so excited that Danni is bringing back her Flutter By Wednesday challenges!  In the past I have participated in many of the weekly challenges using butterfly stamps, butterfly punches, butterfly dies, butterfly papers, and butterfly embellishments.  Danni has put out a call for new design team members so I made this card as my entry.  

The sketch is from this week's Freshly Made Sketches 266 and the colors are from this inspiration piece I found on Pinterest.  I embossed the textured grey card stock with a butterfly folder then distressed it with sandpaper.  I die cut the butterflies from DP.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Happiest Birthday Wishes - SU
Paper:  Pool Party, Midnight Muse, Going Grey, DP
Ink:  Midnight Muse
Accessories:  Butterfly Embossing Folder, Embosilit, Butterfly Die, Scallop Circle Punch, Stick on Gems, Fine Sanding Block

A Cup of Winter Cheer

Brrrr!  In my part of the world winter is upon us.  Cold temperatures, getting dark before 5 pm, frost on my windshield all make me want to stay inside and hibernate until spring.  The things I like about winter are cooking meals in my crock pot, wearing fuzzy warm socks, and avoiding the cold by staying inside to play in my craft room.  On this cold and frosty day I made this card for the 2016 Winter Coffee Lovers Bloghop

The quarterly Coffee Lovers Bloghop represent two of my favorite things:  coffee and card making!  For this card I used the Coffee Helps stamp set from Verve.  I used one of the sentiments stamped in white pigment ink to make the background on Crumbcake paper.  The sentiment on the front was embossed with gold embossing powder then outlined with a sparkly gold gel pen.  Wink of Stella was used on both the cup and mug for shimmer, and I used Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the whipped cream.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Coffee Helps - Verve

Paper:  WW, Very Vanilla, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso

Ink:  WW Craft, Baked Brown Sugar, Versamark

Accessories:  Gold Embossing Powder, Gold Gel Pen, Heat Tool, Ribbon, Gem, Chameleon and Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers, Wink of Stella, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, Verve Dies, Framelits

A Little Something for Baby Girl

As I am going through pictures of cards I made I found this one that hasn't been posted yet.  This is a card I made earlier this year for a baby shower.  This cute card was so quick and easy it is my on my need-to-make-a-card-fast list.  I used a coordinating die from the SU Something for Baby set and used the negative over DP.  I attached a Prima flower with a gold brad and the card was done and then mounted it on coordinating card stock and the card was done.

Recipe:
Stamps:  All Year Cheer II - SU
Paper: Blush Blossom, Crisp Cantaloupe, DP
Ink:  Crisp Cantaloupe
Accessories:  Framelits, Prima Flower, Brad

Happy Birthday with a Cherry on Top

Well the cherry is not exactly on top as the title suggest, but it is still a birthday card.  When I saw this card on Pinterest I just knew I needed it for my birthday card stash.  I changed it a little by using the cherry in the stamp set instead of the bow, and I used a different border punch.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Create a Cupcake, Happiest Birthday Wishes - SU
Paper:  WW, Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler
Ink:  Early Espresso, Cherry Cobbler, Handsome Hunter
Accessories:  Red Stickles,, Cupcake Builder Punch, MS Border Punch, Stick on Gem

Heartfelt Sympathies

I made these cards a couple of months ago.  A co-worker had a death in the family and everyone in the office signed the card.  I used my MISTI tool to do the shadow technique.  The MISTI made it so simple that I could easily make a similar card using different colors.

Recipe:
Stamps: New Mercies - Verve
Paper:  WW, Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, Perfect Plumb
Ink:  Certainly Celery, Almost Amethyst, Perfect Plumb
Accessories: MISTI

You'll be Tea-fully Missed

This card was made for a co-worker who left our office to move across the country.  She loves tea, so when I saw this card on Pinterest I just knew that the design would be perfect for her.  I used different colors in my card and a sentiment that expresses that she will be missed by all of us in the office.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Wild about Flowers, Petite Petals - SU
Paper: WW, Handsome Hunter, Lucky Limeade, DP
Ink:  Handsome Hunter, Tempting Turquoise
Accessories:  Flower Punch, Framelits, Bird Builder Punch, Beads

There's Always Time for Tea

It seems weird for coffee freak like myself to create a tea-themed card.  While coffee is my number 1 choice of starter fluid in the morning, I do enjoy a hot cup of tea in the evening.  After all, coffee and tea are caffeinated cousins and can be enjoyed together.

The idea for this card is from the sketch challenge at the Coffee Loving Cardmakers blog.  All caffeinated drink themed creations are welcome.  I added a little sparkle to this card by spraying the embossed layer with Glimmer Mist and went over the words in the cup with a Gelly Roll pen.  I coated the tea tag with Wink of Stella.  Unfortunately the sparkle touches do not show up well in the photo.

Recipe:

Stamps:  A Nice Cuppa - SU

Paper:  Bermuda Bay, WW, DP

Ink:  Bermuda Bay

Accessories:  Embossing Folder, Wink of Stella, Gelly Roll Pen, Glimmer Mist, Bakers Twine, Stick on Pearl

Serene Sympathy

I'm sure that every artist or creative person experiences a mojo-block.  A mojo block is when you want to create but the ideas are not coming.  When I experience mojo blocks I go to Pinterest to jump start the creative flow. This card was made almost a year ago during a block.  I got the inspiration from this card.  At the time I wasn't looking to create a sympathy card but I loved the design and it was easy enough to recreate with the stamps I have and I can change the sentiment for other occasions.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Fine Lace, Secret Garden, Brighter Tomorrow - SU
Paper:  WW, Brocade Blue
Ink:  Brocade Blue - SU, Tea Dye - Tim Holtz
Accessories:  Stick Pearls

Our Savior is Born!

When it comes to making my annual batch of Christmas cards I start think about designs during the summer.  I get out all of my Christmas themed stamps and play around to discover that year's design.  I tried a few different things stamp sets and Verve's Weary World came out on top.  This isn't the design I chose for this year's big batch, but it is highly likely that  I will use it for a future year's batch.  The design I chose for this year will be revealed after Christmas.

One of the reason's I love the Weary World set is because the images and sentiments represent the true meaning of Christmas, that Jesus Christ was born to save us from our sins.  This is the message I try to convey in the cards I give out each year.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Weary World - Verve
Paper:  WW, Concord Crush, Daffodil Delight
Ink:  Concord Crush
Accesories:  Embossing Folder, Verve Die, Framelets

Butterfly Trio

While I'm in the middle of making my annual batch of Christmas cards, I remembered that there are cards that I have made and photographed but have not posted on my blog yet.  This card is one of them.  I actually made about 6 of these cards to have when I need to send a quick "thank you".  It was a very easy design to do.  I used my Martha Stewart butterfly punch to create the butterflies in colors matching the the background paper and added rhinestones to give the card some sparkle.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes

Paper:  WW, Early Espresso, Lucky Limeaide, Calypso Coral, Wisteria Wonder, DP

Ink:  Early Espresso

Accessories:  MS Butterfly punch, Stick on Gems, 

Merry Christmas Tree by Michele

My friend Michele came over this afternoon to play in my craft room and get her fingers ink.  Here is the Christmas card she designed.

She chose the current Freshly Made Sketch 238 and used Peaceful Pines stamps by SU and the sentiment from Verve's Weary World.  Michele used my MISTI and loved how she could easily line up the stamps for perfect placement, even when re-inking the stamp.  She doesn't have a blog (yet) so I am posting this for her so she can participate in sketch challenge.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Peaceful Pines - SU; Weary World - Verve

Paper:  WW, Handsome Hunter, So Saffron, DP

Ink:  Handsome Hunter, Rose Red

Accessories:  Dies, Star Punch, Ribbon, MISTI 

Party Like a Critter

Here is one of the August birthday cards I made but forgot to post.  I made this for my sister using Penny Black's Critter Party stamp set and colored the images with Chameleon pens.  I added ribbons attached with SU's Hodge-podge Hardware and a few sequins for fun accents.  I used my oval Nestabilities to cut around the images and created wide mattes with stitched oval Die-namics.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Critter Party - Penny Black

Paper:  WW, Island Indigo, Chocolate Chip, DP

Ink:  Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa - Memento

Accessories:  Chameleon Pens, MFT Stitched Die-namics, Nestabilities, Hodge-Podge Hardware, Ribbons, Sequins, Stick on Gem

A Cup of Pumpkin-Spiced Kindness

Fall is the season for pumpkin spiced latte, pumpkin bread, pumpkin candy, pumpkin everything and anything!

My 2nd project for the 2016 Fall Coffee Lover's Bloghop features images from the Coffee Helps stamp set by Verve.  I colored the pumpkin coffee cups with Chameleon pens and Prisma colored pencils.  On the pumpkin leaves I added a little sparkle with a glittery gel pen, but it is hard to see in the photo. I chose an old SU DP pattern for a fun whimsical look in fall colors.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Coffee Helps - Verve
Paper:  So Saffon, Chocolate Chip, WW, DP
Ink:  Rich Cocoa - Memento, Chocolate Chip - SU
Accessories:  Chameleon Pens, Prisma Colored Pencils, Gel Pen, Gem, Cup 4 All Seasons Die - Verve

A Latte Autumn Blessings

It's time for the 2016 Fall Coffee Lover's Bloghop!  In honor of the occasion I made this Autumn-themed card featuring my favorite beverage, coffee.  I look forward to the quarterly Coffee Lovers Bloghops as more incentive to use my coffee-themed stash of stamps.

For this card I used a MFT image that I had for a while but haven't used before now.  I colored it with Chameleon pens and used my new MFT Stitched Die-namics to layer the image and create the sentiment.  Lastly, I added coordinating brads and a leaf embellishment.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Miss You A Latte - MFT, Coffee Helps - Verve
Paper:  Marina Mist, WW, Cajun Craze, Chocolate Chip, DP
Ink:  Tuxedo Black, Rich Cocoa - Memento
Accessories:  Chameleon Pens, Spectrum Noir Alcohol markers, Brads, MFT Die-namics, Embossing Folder, Leaf Charm

Masculine Basic Sympathy

Sympathy cards are my least favorite to make because they represent loss of somebody's loved one.  This card is for a co-worker who recently lost his mother.  I needed to create a card with a masculine but soothing design so I turned to Splitcoast Stampers for inspiration.  This card immediately caught my eye and I knew that it would be perfect to CASE for this occasion.  

I used the same stamp and design as the original card but different shades of green.  The stamped image is created using the reverse image technique that you can learn about here.  It was easy to do and I love how the card came out.  I will be sure to use this technique for future cards.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Butterfly Basics, Beautiful Borders - SU

Paper:  WW, River Rock, Lucky Limeaide, Mossy Meadow, DP

Ink:  River Rock, Lucky Limeaide, Mossy Meadow

Accessories:  Twine, Word Window Punch, Brads, SU Markers

Butterfly Well Wishes

This card was made for someone at work who has been out with some health issues.  I got the idea for the design from an older MFT sketch 146.  I chose the colors from the DP.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes - SU
Paper:  Marina Mist, Daffodil Delight, WW, Lucky Limeaide, DP
Ink:  Luck Limeade
Accessories:  Butterfly Framelit and Thinlit, MFT Die-namic, Embossing Folder, Stick on Pearl, Glimmer Mist

Hello Cupcake

This another card I made for the August birthdays.  I CASE'd it from this card I found on Pinterest.  I used similar papers and colors as I did on the card on my previous post.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Party This Way, Create a Cupcake - SU
Paper:  VV, Soft Suede, River Rock, DP
Ink:  Soft Suede, River Rock, Early Espresso
Accessories:  Embossing Folder, Nestabilities, Ribbon, Label Punch, Cupcake Punch

Birthday Balloons

August is a big birthday month for my family and circle of friends.  This is one of the cards that I made for the celebrations.  For this card I used the current Kraftin' Kimmie Wonderful Wednesday sketch and used various shades of browns for a masculine look.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Party This Way, Punch Bunch - SU
Paper:  Soft Suede, River Rock, Early Espresso, VV, DP
Ink:  Early Espresso, Close to Cocoa, River Rock
Accessories:  Ribbon, Square Punch, Stamp Punch, Corner Rounder Punch, MS Balloon Punch, Fibers

Fabulous Friend

Here is another image that I colored using my new Chameleon Pens.  I love the effect I got on the dress using just one pen.  Chameleon Pens can also be used with other brands of alcohol markers.  I also use the Chameleon Pens to color her hair, skin, shoes, and the waterlily.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Waterlily - MFT, Fabulous Frases -SU

Paper: WW, Lucky Limeaide, Concord Crush, Wisteria Wonder, DP

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Concord Crush

Accessories:   Chameleon Pens, Ribbin, Scallop Edge Punch, Dew Drops

Storms of Life

This is one of the first card I made with my new Chameleon pens.  They are alcohol markers like Copics or Spectrum Noirs but the difference is that you can get several different tones of a color from one marker.  Like all alcohol markers, there is a learning curve to these but its not that difficult to get a beautiful shading effect.  Chameleon pens can be used with other brands of alcohol markers.

I dug out one of my MFT Flopsey stamps to practice coloring with the Chameleon pens.  The background paper is something I made several years ago with my sister's Tim Holtz re-inkers, alcohol drops, and metallic pens.  This piece does look like a heavy rain storm.

The sketch is from is from Split Coast Stampers SC597 and SC600.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Rainfall Flopsey - MFT
Paper:  WW, Glossy Paper, Island Indigo, Pool Party, Summer Starfruit, Handmade DP
Ink:  Color Box Wicked Black archival dye, Tim Holtz re-inkers
Accessories:  Chameleon Pens, Nestabilities, Metallic Butterfly embellishment, Stick on Gems, Ribbon, Corner Rounder Punch, Embossing Folder

Taste and See that the Lord is Good!

It has been a productive holiday weekend for me when it comes to making cards.  This one is for the Mojo Monday 455 sketch challenge.

 This week's challenge is a contest. There will be one winner for every 50 entries.  Winners will get a free Verve stamp set of their choice.  I love Verve stamps and there are a many sets on my wish list.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Psalm 34:8 - Verve

Paper:  WW, River Rock, Pool Party, Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, DP

Ink:  Pool Party

Accessories:  Partly Cloudy dies - Verve, Paper Piercing, Tea cup button

Stars and Stripes

Happy Independence Day weekend!  This is another card I made today for Mojo Monday 454 Sketch Challenge.  This one is in honor of the July 4th Independence Day celebration the USA.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Polka Dots and Paisley, Number of Years - SU, Starstruck - Verve
Paper:  WW, Brilliant Blue, Ridinghood Red
Ink:  Brilliant Blue
Accessories:  Embossing Folders, Framelits, Gel Pen

Summertime Joy

My new craft room is pretty much set up and I can find everything I need to make a card when inspiration strikes.  For this card I used Prisma and Koh-I-Noor color pencils on this summery House Mouse image.  The sketch is from Mojo Monday 454.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Flower Raft - House Mouse, Serenity - Verve

Paper:  WW, Bermuda Bay, Calypso Coral, Gumball Green

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, WW Craft Ink

Accessories:  Prisma and Koh-I-Noor Color Pencils, Gamisol, Framelits, Embossing Folder, Ribbon

Summer 2016 Coffee Lovers Bloghop: Java Joy

I made a second card for the Summer Coffee Lovers Bloghop but I just missed the closing time.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Better with You, Coffee Together - Verve
Paper:  VV, Creamy Caramel, Tangerine Tango, DSPInk:  Memento Rich Cocoa, Garden GreenAccessories:  Verve Coffee Cup die, MS Corner punch, Glitter Gel Pen

Summer 2016 Coffee Lovers Bloghop: Thanks A Latte

This is a fun card I made for this year's Summer Coffee Lovers Bloghop.  I moved last month and am still putting my craftroom together, but I was able to find a few things to make this card.  I decided to make a little pocket to put a gift card or tag in.  I made the tag using my tag topper punch and used dies to cut the cups out of DP.  I found my almost forgotten stash of eyelets and used those to make the pocket.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Better with You, One Cup - Verve

Paper:  WW, Crumbcake, Early Espresso, DP

Ink:  Memento Rich Coco and Tuxedo Black, Early Espresso, Crumbcake

Accessories:  Tag Topper Punch, Verve Dies, Eyelets, Ribbon

Emboss Resist Thank You

I got to play with a stamp set that I have had for a while but have never used.  I love the style of this set but wasn't quite sure how to use it so I went to Pinterest for some inspiration.  I found many lovely examples but this one really caught my attention.  I loved the muted colors in this example of the emboss resist technique.  I added a ribbon and used a "thank you" sentiment for my cards.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Postage Due, Thank You Kindly - SU
Paper:  VV, Soft Suede
Ink:  Versamark, Baja Breeze, River Rock, Soft Suede, Mellow Moss
Accessories:  Ribbon, Postage Stamp Punch, Clear EP, Heat Tool, Sponges

Java Joy #1

 

This card was made for the Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop 2016.  Coffee,. coffee, Coffee... is aal I talk about at work until that 2nd cup kicks in.  Those that know me, know that I love my coffee and that "decaf" is actually a curse word to me.  My family is of a Caribbean  heritage where as a  child is weened off the bottle or breast, the coffee introduction begins.

This card was made in celebration of coffee.  It is a simple design but for any coffee lover I think the image and sentiments speak for them selves.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Better with You, Coffee Together - Verve
Paper:  VV, Daffodil Delight, DSP
Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa, Garden Green
Accessories:  Verve Coffee Cup die, Corner Rounder Punch, Glitter Gel Pen

Last of the Blizzard of 2016

In the past few days the temperatures here have been above freezing, even a couple of times in the high 50's.  The great amount of snow that was rapidly dumped on us over a week ago is melting into large puddles and streams.  I think this week should be titled "The Great Thaw of 2016".

This is the last card that I made during the Blizzard of 2016.  I CASE'd it from this card.  It was nice having an extended weekend with no where to go and nothing to do except drink coffee, watch Netflix, and make cards.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Scentsational Season, Beautiful Borders, Snowflake Soiree
Paper:  WW, Crumb Cake, Marina Mist, DP
Ink:  Rose Red, Crumb Cake, Early Espresso Craft, WW Craft
Accessories:  Framelit Dies, Stick on Gems, Corner Rounder Punch, Heat Tool

Thanks A Latte

I had some time today to make this coffee-themed card following a couple of card making challenges.  This week's Color Throwdown #377 uses kraft, yellow, and grey.

The sketch is from this week's Mojo Monday 432.  

Recipe:
Stamps:  Perfect Blend - SU, Latte Love - Fiskars
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Basic Grey, WW, DP
Ink:  Basic Grey, Memento Tuxedo Black
Accessories:  Embossing Folder, Sizzix Button die, Bakers Twine

Blizzard Snow

This card is similar to my previous card Brrr!  I used the same Snowflake card Thinlet die but used a different embossing folder and accent colors.

Recipe:
Stamps:  None
Paper:  WW, Soft Sky
Ink:  Soft Sky
Accessories:  Snowflake card Thinlet die, Shimmer Spray, Embossing Folder, Stick on Gem

Brrr!

I'm still snowed in but I'm not complaining.  I'm having fun making cards, drinking coffee, and watching Netflix.

I used my Snowflake Card Thinlet die, then ran the card through the embossing folder inked with Marina Mist.  I accented with a snowflake eyelet and crystal brad.  I used a little smooch paint on the white snowflake and "Brrr".

Recipe:
Stamps:  None
Paper:  WW, Marina Mist
Ink: Marina Mist
Accessories:  Snowflake Card Thinlet die, Eyelet, Crystal brad, Embossing Folder, Smooch Paint

A Hug in a Mug

My area got about 3 feet of snow this weekend during the Blizzard of 2016.  I spent a little more than 3 hours shoveling today.  When I came in I made myself a hot cup of coffee poured over a chocolate truffle for a mocha-licious treat.  Tomorrow is another snow day off from work, and I will probably spend it resting sore muscles.

This is one of the cards I made during the blizzard.  It is a CASE of this card that I found on Pinterest; it symbolizes all of the hot drinks many of us have enjoyed this weekend.  For my version of the card I added sequin accents, used DP for the mittens and sprayed the background with Shimmer Spritz for a frost effect.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Scentsational Season - SU
Paper:  WW, DP
Ink:  Bermuda Bay, Smokey Slate
Accessories:  Embossing Folder, Mitten Punch, Framelits, Frost Shimmer Spritz, Sequins

So Much Snow!

My area is getting hit with the blizzard and I am completely snowed in.  At the rate at which the snow is falling and blowing, I may be stuck inside until Monday or Tuesday.  I'm not complaining though.  I lots of time to play in my craft room.

This is one of several cards I have made so far today.  I applied Marina Mist ink to the embossing folder then ran the cardstock in it through my Bigshot.  I like how the ink is not even because it gives the effect of blowing snow, like the blizzard going on outside.

I made several cards today and will continue to make more until I get dug out.  So there will be a lot more post coming over the next week.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Snow Place
Paper:  WW, Marina Mist
Ink:  Marina Mist, Memento Tuxedo Black, Bermuda Bay
Accessories:  Embossing Folder, Framlits die, Thinlet die, SU Markers, Glimmer Mist