Happy Caffeinated 4th

Happy 4th of July 2019 everyone!  I originally made this card several months ago for the Spring/Summer Coffee Lovers Bloghop but I got busy and forgot to post it.  I decided to save this post for the actual Independence Day.

I made the background by taping off diagonal lines as I buffed Oxide inks on.  I then used white pigment ink over a star-patterned stencil and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. For the central image I used small eye shadow applicators to apply Oxides over a coffee image stencil and added some gold star sequin accents.

Recipe:
Stamps: Coffee Helps - Verve
Paper: SU cardstock, Mixed Media Paper
Ink: TH Distress Oxides in Candied Apple, Salty Ocean, Ground Espresso, Frayed Burlap, and Hickory Smoke. Sweet Tooth - MFT, Baked Brown Sugar - SU, Versamark
Accessories: Stencils, Sequins, Clear EP, Low tack Painter's Tape, Star-shaped die, Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder punch

The Lord is My Helper

I haven't posted a card in several months.  A few events have kept me too busy to make cards.  In fact, I didn't even get to make Christmas cards.  I took an online class in August and September.   Then I was offered what I thought was a new and exciting opportunity at work.  I also started the process to purchase a new home.  The opportunity at work was a disaster and I ended up losing my job.  I have been looking for a new job since but I haven't been hired anywhere yet.  I am supposed to settle on the new home in April but that is dependent on if I can find employment in the next couple of weeks.  In preparation for purchasing a home, I gave the notice to vacate my apartment a couple months before I lost my job.  The leasing office found new renters in less than a month, so I had to leave by the date I had indicated on the intent to vacate notice.  Oh, and I started a relationship with a guy in the fall, but he decided to end it about a week after I lost my job.  

When people ask me how I am dealing with all of this, my response has often been from Job 1:21 "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”  I'm not bitter about it, as it is true that everything I have (or had) really belongs to God and is used for His purpose.  Through this time of difficulty, I believe my relationship with God has grown stronger as He is providing for everything that I need.  A very good friend has taken me into her home and is letting me stay for as long as I need to find a new job.  Other friends have treated me to meals and other outings.  I have some money in savings to pay some bills and other needs.  I was able to refill all of my prescriptions for the next few months using my FSA and did not have to pay out of pocket.  The loan officer for the new home is a believer and praying for me to find a new job soon.  She is giving me more time to find a job so I can still get the house. 

I do not understand why all of this is happening to me, but I know that God is carrying me through this.  He is my helper and is always faithful to care for His children.  This card uses verses from Psalm 121.  I wish I had a stamp that had the entire chapter as it is one of the many reminders that God is always with me and never fails to help me.

Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;

He will keep your life.

8 The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Psalm 121:1-2 - ODBD

Paper:  WW, Bermuda Bay, Raspberry Ripple

Ink:  Tuxedo Black - Memento, Distressed Cracked Pistachio, Distressed Mermaid Lagoon, Distressed Seedless Preserves - TH

Accessories:  Brother Scan n Cut, Butterfly Embossing Folder, Butterfly Embossilits, TH Blending Tool, MISTI, Sequins

Mojo 498 Masculine Birthday

This card was made for 2 challenges.  The first one is the Splitcoast Stampers Technique Lovers Challenge #639.  The challenge was to make a card using the Smack Down Technique.  You can find out more about it here.  The 2nd challenge is this weeks Mojo Monday 498 Sketch Challenge.  

Coming up with masculine design cards is sometimes tricky for me.  The smack down technique provided the opportunity to use the Stampers Best Gears Background stamp to create this masculine birthday card.  To keep with the theme, I used a Tim Holtz embossing folder with gears.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Gears Background - Stampers Best, Party Punch - SU

Paper:  WW, Baked Brown Sugar, Basic Gray, Basic Black

Ink:  Tip Top Taupe, Smokey Slate, Basic Gray, Color Box Wicked Black

Accessories:  Embossing Folder, Ticket Punch, Brads

This Last One is a bit of a Cheat...Spring2017CLH

So this last one is a cheat because it is not my project.  My sister Lyssa made this for my birthday 2 months ago.  This is the same sister that also gave me my Brother Scan N Cut II.  Since Lyssa does not have a blog, nor photograph her creations, I thought I would do it for her this time.  This project fits in perfectly with the Spring 2017 Coffee Lovers Bloghop. Like me, she cannot survive without her daily coffee either.  She made this altered clipboard with a coffee design.  You can see the image better in the picture below.

I do not know the maker of the image but I love it. It is two friends (or sisters) enjoying their coffee outside on a lovely Spring morning with a bright and sunny coffee cup shining on them.  Another thing that I love is butterflies.  Lyssa used butterfly washi tape on the edges.  The flower and the leaves are thick chip board cut with Tim Holtz dies.  

John 15:7

This card was made for the Splitcoast Stampers Featured Stamper Challenge #527.  Each week a SCS member is chosen and their gallery is featured. The challenge is to create a card that is inspired or CASEd from one in the featured stamper's gallery.  This week bubblstx4 is the Featured Stamper and I chose her With Wild Abandon as the card to CASE.  I love the sponged-look of the background, and of course, the butterfly.  I created my card with an ombre effect inside a die-cut frame.  I used the Bible verse John 15:7 from ODBD as the sentiment and stamped an image from Tim Holtz in a darker blue.  I added a punched butterfly with a pearl accent.

Recipe:

Stamps:  John 15:7 (Scripture Collection 4) - ODBD, Flights of Fancy - TH

Paper:  WW, Island Indigo, Not Quite Navy

Ink:  Pool Party, Bermuda Bay, Lost Lagoon, Not Quite Navy, Versafine Onyx Black

Accessories:  Nestabilities, MISTI, MS Butterfly Punch, Sponges, Stick on Pearl

Bestest Birthday Present Ever!

For my birthday this year, my sister did an amazing thing.  SHE GOT ME A BROTHER SCAN N CUT!!!!!!!  This very generous act has earned her the Bestest Sister of the Millenium Award, if there were such an award.  My crafting buddies on Face Book even agree.  Many of them are asking if she would adopt them.

This card is the first card I made using my new favorite toy.  It is a thank you card for my sister for the wonderful birthday gift.  The flower, layered frames, and "thank you" were all cut out on the Brother SNC.  It is so easy to use and no more fussy cutting!  

The Brother Scan N Cut was not the only gift she gave me.  She game me some inks and made this beautiful coffee-themed mixed media clipboard art. 

My sister is the one who first got me in to card making several years ago.  Her style is more mixed media and altered objects, while mine is mostly clean and simple cards.  Over the years she has given me some supplies to broaden my crafting style.  This year I want to branch out using different tools and techniques to create other projects in addition to more cards.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Fabulous Florets - SU

Paper:  WW, Pool Party, Garden Green

Ink:  Versafine Black Onyx, Christmas Pine - Gina K Designs, Tattered Rose Distress Ink

Accessories: Brother Scan N Cut, Embossing Folder, Spectrum Noir and Chameleon Markers, Ribbon, Stickles, MISTI

Bringing Back the Buzzin' Bees

 

I dug out one of my older SU stamp sets to color with my alcohol markers.  I had so much fun making the first one that I may a second in landscape.  I made the background using a stencil from Hampton Art and Distress Ink.  Wink of Stella was used on the bees' wings and antennae to add a bit of sparkle.  

Recipe:

Stamps: Just Buzzin' By - SU

Paper:  WW, Soft Suede, So Saffron

Ink:  Versafine Onyx Black, Walnut Stain Distress Ink

Accessories:  Spectrum Noir and Chameleon Alcohol Markers, Circle Punches, Hampton Art Honeycomb Mask, Wink of Stella, Circle Punches, Paper Flower, Brad, MISTI

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

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

No Coffee = Sleep

I love coffee so I am happy to have finally played with this SU stamp set called Morning Cup!  I have posted about my love (okay its an addiction!) of coffee previously.  The sentiment could easily be my motto!

I colored the image with my Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.  The SU DP in the background is partially distressed so I went a little crazy and distressed the rest of it and all the other papers.  I did something whimsical by wrapping bakers twine around the ribbon in an X pattern.  I used Waltzing Mouse Sketch Challenge #104.  I don't have any WM stamps so I hope that my card will not be disqualified.  It's not that I care if I win the challenge or not, but I love the sketch and it fit well with my image that I had stamped and colored.

Recipe:

Stamps:  Morning Cup

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, WW, DP

Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Walnut Stain and Tea Dye Distress Inks, Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler

Accessories:  Spectrum Noir Alcohol Markers, Sizzix Embossing Folder, Corner Rounder Punch, Itty Bitty Shapes Punch, Ribbon, Nestabilities, Bakers Twine, Stick on Gem

Mixed Bunch Birthday

I found the sketch for this card on Pinterest but the website link of the original post was broken so I don't know who to give credit to.  I used the new papers from the SU Salebration brochure and a stamp set from the current SU mini catalog.  The paper is partially distressed but I wanted a little more so I added some Walnut color to it.  I dipped into my hoard of ribbon and used some ruffled ribbons in coordinating colors.  The flower I made using the retired Three for You punch.

Recipe:
Stamps:  Mixed Bunch, Happiest Birthday Wishes
Ink:  Early Espresso Classic and Craft - SU, Walnut Stain Distress - Tim Holtz
Paper:  VV, Early Espresso, Peach Parfait, DP - SU
Accessories:  Clear EP, MS Border Punch, Ribbons, SU Punches, Handmade flowers, Sponge

Christmas Snow

The background of the main image was made using Tim Holtz's alcohol inks, metallic ink, and mixative on glossy paper. I dripped all the inks and mixative on a craft sheet and then smooshed and swirled glossy paper on top of it. The scarf is from a cuttlebug Disney die and folder