Sunday Sip...Jump right in!

Hello there coffee loving friends!  I'm back with another Sunday Sip and Share over at the Coffee Loving Cardmakers Blog.  This week, I'm feeling much better (my back is healing nicely) and I can now get back to that big pile of crafty goodness on my stamping table.  A while back, I purchased a some coffee-related stamp sets at my favorite little stamp shop Butterfly Reflections Ink and  I'm slowly working through inking up everything in my order.  This week, I decided to get this adorable little gnome-y coffee set by Stamping Bella.  It's called Swimmer Gnomes.  I just love gnomes and they are having such a good time in this image, don't you think?  

To create my card, I started out by stamping the gnome cup onto Neenah Solar White cardstock with RG Avenue Black Taffy Ink.  I fussy cut the image and started working on watercoloring it with watercolor pencils.  After that was done, I took those same pencils and splattered some ink on the cup to give it more depth and then added some splatters on a background page.  After that, I used some RG Avenue Dazzling Pat to splatter some shimmery spatters on the page.  When it was dry, I stamped the sentiment over it with VersaColor Black ink.  

To finish the card off, I mounted the cup onto the splattered panel with foam squares and then mounted it onto a blue card base.

I hope you enjoyed this card and I'll see you again soon!  

Flowers do the trick! RG AvenueBirthday Poppy

Hello inky friends!  Today I'm sharing a pretty floral card I created using a gorgeous stamp set from RG Avenue.  Birthday Poppy is a set of several florals and three sentiments, perfect for birthdays, encouragement or just a happy hello!  It's also a great set to get that WOW quickly and easily!  

To create my card, I started out by stamping the tall floral stem onto Powdered Sugar cardstock (it's sooo thick and allows for some fun watercoloring without the wrinkly effects thinner paper produces).  I stamped with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink and heat set it so that I could create a beautiful watercolor effect without bleed- and without the need for embossing.  Next, I used a clear stamp sheet (the one that peels off my stamp set) and added one drop of Tangy Apple and one drop of Sweet Banana to the clear sheet then added some water to dilute and mix the colors.  I applied this ink onto the "greenery" area in a quick/fluid motion- not worrying about accuracy.  I then added one drop of Sweet Pink, Sour Guava and Sweet Banana to the sheet and added some water to really water it down.  I applied that to the florals in the same manner.  After "painting" the flowers, I splattered a few drops of the green and the pink-ish color to my image panel to help bring everything together. 

Next, I started working on the fringe element on the edge.  I wanted to incorporate this week's color focus (our Basic Confectionery Cubes) by adding this fun little fringe element on the edge.  I cut a few pieces of the colors in this family and attached them to a strip of white paper and then attached that to the underside of my stamped panel.  Once attached, I used my scissors to cut the fringe edge.  

To finish things off, I wrapped some Black Taffy Twine onto the edge added a pearl (that I color matched) and mounted the stamped panel onto a Sweet Cane panel with pop-dots before mounting onto a Powdered Sugar card base. 

Thanks for hopping over and I hope you enjoy this card.  Make sure to stop over to the RG Avenue shop to check out all the products I used in creating this pretty little card!  :). Have a great day and stay safe!

Stamps:  Birthday Poppy

Inks:  Versafine Clair Nocturne (Heatset)
Cardstock:  Powdered Sugar, Vanilla Cream, Gray Stuff, Nectar Stone, Black Taffy, Sweet Cane
Reinkers:  Green, Pink, Yellow (Tangy Apple, Sweet Pink, Sour Guava, Sweet Banana)-used as watercolors
Dazzling Pat
Black Taffy Twine

RG Inspired: Cake Layers Bundle: Black and White...EAT CAKE

Hey there inky friends!  I'm back with one more card featuring this weeks fabulous bundle:  Cake Layers!  So what do you think?  Is it a MUST HAVE for you?  I hope I've shown you that this collection of stamp sets is not JUST for birthdays.  Lots and lots of amazing cards can be made for any theme!  

Today's card is totally inspired by RG and his love of Black and White styling!  I thought I'd create a fun card featuring the Confetti Creator background and the striped cake.  Of course I added a little pop of color with the flowers (and some deeeeelish Sugar Drops reinkers!)  They make my images POP with color!  

Thanks for popping over to check out my projects this week.  I'll be back again next week to share some fun new projects and a brand new bundle!  YUM YUM!

Flower Power! RG Studio 360 new bundle: Cake Layers

Hey there inky friends!  I'm back with another fun card created using the newest stamp set/bundle from RG Studio 360.  This bundle "Cake Layers" is not just for Birthdays....Yep.  I said that correctly.  Check out the card I created using the adorable florals!  

To create this card, I started out by making somewhat of a watercolor wash on some Powdered Sugar cardstock.  After I added a mix of colors,  I let it dry and then machine stitched some meandering lines on the paper.  After that, I mounted this stitched panel onto Sour Mist cardstock. 

Next, I used the digital versions of the flowers.  I printed several onto some Powdered Sugar cardstock and then used the Sugar Drops reinkers below and a tiny paintbrush to give them some color.  The watercolor effect these reinkers provide is awesome!  A little drop of ink and some water goes a LONG way! 

After coloring the images, I fussy cut them out and selected a few to add to my card.  

To finish off the card, I added the stitched panel onto Powdered Sugar cardstock and then mounted onto Tangy Grape cardstock.  I attached the sentiment (printed on a circle form in MSWord and fussy cut) and some twine to the card then added the flowers.  SO FUN, so pretty, I think.  

I'll be back again tomorrow with one more fun creation using this bundle.  Hop back over tomorrow to see another TOTALLY RG inspired birthday card.  :)

Not quite CAS- RGStudio360 Fall Wreath

 Hey there inky friends!  I'm blogging one more card featuring the gorgeous stamp/digi set called "Fall Wreath".  This set is available in DIGI form AND CLEAR STAMP form.  When you purchase the stamp set, you automatically receive the digital download...FREE!  To create this card, I cropped and assembled various leaves into a Word Document to create a falling leaves background.  I added the sentiment onto this design as well.  I overlapped some of the leaves onto each other as well as on the sentiment to to make the design seamless.  Once I was happy with my layout, I printed the document and started coloring.  I used Neocolor2 Aquarelle watercolor pastels to color the paper and then flicked some black watercolor onto the background too. 

 Since none of my cards go "naked", I added some taupe seam binding and some black twine and then layered a few spare leaves from my previous projects.  To cover the assemblage of leaves, I mounted a few real pine cone seeds on top for that natural element.  I love adding real nature to my fall cards!  How about you???

Finally, I applied my stamped panel to a square card base.  Fenito Bandito!

Thanks for stopping over to check out my card!  I hope it inspires you to create something pretty today! 

Falling for Fall...RGStudio360 Announcement!

Hello there inky friends!  Today I'm excited to share some fun news with you!  I was recently invited to join the RGStudio360 Design Team.  WOOP WOOP!  RG and his team announced the news on his social media channels by sharing my first of many projects.  I decided to play with the gorgeous new set called "Fall Wreath". To create my card, I used the digital version of this stamp set.  Did you know that when you purchase a stamp set through RGStudio360, you also receive the digital download for free?  YEP!  It's great that you get both versions! 

While I waited for the stamp set to arrive, I got to work on playing with the digital set.  I love that I can manipulate the images- resize, and layer the images easy-peasy and then can print the images on my computer.  Once printed, I can design my cards any way I wish! 

I wanted to focus on the "nutty" part of the wreath so I enlarged the wreath, twirled it around and offset my image so that I could have the image fill the page.  After cutting out this wreath panel, I colored the wreath with my Neocolor2 Aquarelle watercolor pastels.  I love the vibrancy of these artist pastels and they are so fun to work with. 

After coloring the image, I colored some additional leaves so that I could have a collection for future cards as well as for embellishing touches to my fall themed cards.  I selected one of the leaves to embellish over the ribbon touches.  After coloring these additional leaves, I splattered some blue aquarelle watercolor onto the panel using my fine paint brush.  Next, it was on to glossing up and making things shiny...Yes, I sure do love the shine and the "invitation for touchy-feely experiences" with my cards.  I added glossy accents to the berries, the pinecone, the nuts as well as the extra leaves.  

After creating this panel, I attached a little strip of gold cardstock along the left edge of the panel and added a few golden flat-backed pearls.  Perfect little finishing touches!  To finish the card off, I curled a few of the edges of this panel up with my finger and then mounted it onto a dark green card base (with a topfold).  

Thanks for popping over to check out my first project featuring RGStudio360 products.  I am excited to share a few more projects with this stamp/digi set with you again so please stop back over to my blog again soon!  :)  Have a great week!  

National Coffee Day: The Cat's Pajamas New Release

Hey there inky friends!  I've got another fun card to share for World Cardmaking Day!  This time, I'm thrilled to share one of my first creations as a designer for The Cat's Pajamas!  WAHOO!  When I received this little set called "Better not Pout" in the mail, I instantly thought of all the possibilities beyond the norm.  You see that cup right there?  Well, it did have a pine tree on it (for Christmas and Winter) but I took some artistic liberties and modified it a bit!  Hee Hee.  I wanted this little guy to be more in the Fall spirit so I doodled a little acorn over the tree.  After that, it was off to the races coloring this fun image with my new Neocolor II Aquarelle water soluble wax pastels.  They are TO DIE FOR!  

I selected some colors that I thought would work nicely with this little kitty and got to work.  These colors work so wonderfully when layering and even though I used cheap cardstock, the color blended flawlessly with minimal warping of the paper.  Good stuff, I tell ya!  After coloring the cat, I doodled some acorns (using a Staedtler .03 Pigment marker) onto a white panel and then started to add color to that.  

It didn't take long before the panel was waterlogged and ready to dry with my heat gun.  I added some doodling over that to finish my design before adding that crazy critter.  When it was dry, I rolled, bent and tore up the edges to help the paper look like I meant to have it all warped...Yeah, work it baby!  

After that, I stamped the sentiment (used my Misti to make it nice a crisp.) and then attached some orange Hemptique twine.  I also added some fun little Nuvo Drops, some fun sequins and beads, opalescent hole-less sequins (a fun new product from TCP) and then I was able to mount it onto my card base.  Good Stuff, 'eh?!

I know, just deeeelish!  Once mounted onto the card panel, I aded a bit more color and doodling to this panel on either side of the colorful image to help tie the top layer to the bottom.  :)

Thanks a ton for stopping by!  I hope you have a great World Cardmaking day and I can't wait to hop on over and check out your projects!

September Release Bundles:  

Kitty Kat Pack

Poochie Pack

Joy Clair Anniversary Blog Hop...My Fave...

Hello there Joy Clair friends!  I'm joining my fellow (and some former) Joy Clair Designers as we celebrate Joy Clair's Fourth BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY!  WOOP WOOP!  We're hopping along today to share some of our favorite sets in the collection and it took a LONG TIME for me to narrow it down to a "favorite".  If you've arrived here from Monica's blog, you're on the right track, if not, please check out the complete blogroll at the bottom of my post to find direction.

Joy clair will be offering FOUR $25.00 Gift Cards to their store!  Two will be awarded on the blog and two will be awarded on the Joy Clair Facebook page so make sure you hop along and comment!  You just might be a winner!  Winners will be announced on the last day of the month.  

Sooo...After himming and hawwwing and changing my mind a bazillion times, I THINK my favorite is the set called Jesus is my Jam.  I love this set because of all the fun little elements that can be combined together to create a fun, fresh, funky and faith-filled card, project or journaling page.  I've used this set so many times for various purposes and it works so perfectly for a fun and upbeat project.  

Most of the time when I am crafting and bible journaling, I'm listening to noise in the background.  Usually, when cardmaking, it's the TV.  I'm not watching, just listening, I guess.  As for journaling, stamps usually sing to me and the songs they sing are usually the ones I hear when I'm driving to and from work- praise and worship songs....and so, when I'm journaling, I listen to the songs that hold meaning to scripture and these stamp sets that just happen to fit perfectly.  

That's what I love about many of my Joy Clair Stamps in the Color By Faith line.  They sing to me!  Literally!  I'm not sure if the stamps were created or designed after some current praise and worship songs on the radio, but if they aren't, there sure seems to be some mighty power at work!

In creating this card, I the stamp set...and the music to help me build a collage.  I splattered a background of watercolor and shimmer paint and then went to town assembling the card.  I love the mix of fonts too.  The scripty font...SWOON!

Thanks for hopping over to Jessica's blog and help celebrate Joy Clair's birthday!  Do you have a Joy Clair favorite?  I'd love to know.

BlogROLL: 
Joy Clair Blog
Martha Lucia Gomez
Cornelia Wenokor 
Donna Idlet
Steph Ackerman 
Lindsay Adreon
Monica Edwards 
Kerry Urbatch (THAT'S ME!)

Jessica Pascarella
Helen Gullett
Angie Cimbalo
Nicole Winslow
Andrea Bjork
Monica Maier
Jenny Fruchey
Ceal Pritchett

Hoppin' Day 2!

Hello there coffee loving friends!  I'm back with my second creation for the FALL Coffee Lovers Hop.  This time, I'm sharing a scrappy little Christmas card that features the Joy Clair stamp set called Christmas Coffee.  Yes, I KNOW, I KNOW, this is a FALL hop but I have a reason for this card at this time!  LOL.  It is that time of year when I start cranking out millions and millions of Chirstmas Cards.  Yes, while I'm sipping my Pumpkin Spice Latte and dreaming of cool days ahead, I'm prepping my Christmas basket...So that's, ok, right!?!  

This is a fun set that includes two "sweater-like" backgrounds to fill a coffee mug, some holly leaves, coffee beans and a yummy collection of sentiment parts!  Such a great collection that you can mix and match to create an unlimited amount of unique creations.  

To create the colorful panel, I glued a variety of my cardmaking scrappy strips to a piece of cardstock.  It's fun to use these strips to make striped backgrounds!  I stamped the cup and just lightly stamped a few hints of the sweater background just to give the cup a bit of texture.  After that, I watercolored with a mix of colors that are found in the background and then added the holly leaves and coffee bean.  After that, I stamped the sentiment panel and distressed it with some coordinating colors and some golden embossing powder along the edge.  

Did you know that Joy Clair is one of the Super Sponsors of the hop?  They're offering one lucky participant (worldwide) a $25.00 gift card to the shop.  Check out the shop for their complete line of awesome clear stamps and start making your wish list!  You never know, you just might be a lucky winner!!!  

Jut a little twine to hold the cup...

Check out all the coffee-loving stamp sets that Joy Clair offers!  

Which one is YOUR favorite???

Thanks for stopping by and remember to come back tomorrow as I share another coffee-tea-cocoa-loving project with you!  Have fun hopping!  

Coffee loving with Joy Clair...

Woo Hoo!!!  The hop is HERE!  I'm excited to be hopping along again and have so much to share this week.  My first share is this fun card created using a fun little sentiment from Joy Clair.  The sentiment comes from the Coffee Quotes stamp set.  It's a great collection of quotes that work perfectly as stand-alone sentiments or as embellishing elements on any crafty project.  

I created this card by first applying some watercolor splats using a sheet of acetate.  I just applied some watercolor on the acetate and then laid my paper onto that.  After that, I splattered some watercolor using my brush and my finger.  I stamped the sentiment then watercolored with some watercolor pencils.  

Did you know that Joy Clair is a Super Sponsor of the hop?  Yes, and as a Joy Clair DT member, I get to share in the excitement by hopping along and featuring some amazing stamp sets this week. Throughout the week, I'll be sharing several Joy Clair creations and I hope you enjoy.  Joy Clair will be awarding one lucky HOP participant a $25 gift certificate to their online shop!  Make sure to hop along and comment away for your chance to win!

I like to add some machine stitching to my cards so I just did a meandering stitch over and over using some white thread.  I think it gives the card a bit more to talk about...Helps it along a bit.  The little piece of Rinea Foil added a bit of whimsy and allowed me to apply some star punches for embellishments.  I added a little bronze ink splatter too.

Mounting the stamped panel onto some coordinating cardstock was the finishing touch before attaching it to a white (topfold) card base.   I had such a fun time creating this card!  I hope you like it!

It's Christmas in July at Joy Clair!

WOO HOO!  It's Christmas in July!  It's an entire week of projects and discounts!  You've got that right, discounts!  Join us this week as we celebrate Christmas in July...With Joy Clair Style!  

Hey there inky friends!  This week I'm celebrating Christmas In July at Joy Clair.  All week long the designers at Joy Clair have been sharing some gorgeous Holiday creations and today Steph Ackerman and I are sharing our holiday projects with you!  I'm sharing this fun and festive card using a few NON HOLIDAY stamp sets from the Joy Clair collection.  

Yes, thinking out-of-the-box was the requirement for me this time as I do not have any traditionally Christmas sets from Joy Clair (yet).  SOOO...what was I to do?  Well, I dug through my collection of amazing stamp sets and pulled a few that inspired me to create something Holiday-ish!  Hope you enjoy!  

I selected Doodle Flowers and Hello Sentiments to create this jar of joy card.  I used my colored pencils and watercolors to color the jar and hand write the Joy sentiment.  I also doodled the background frame using a micron pen.  I think it helps contain the jar and helps pop this panel off the page.  

I added a few sprigs from the stamp set, doodled a few red berries and applied some micro glitter to one edge of the jar.  I also wrapped a bit of twine around the neck of the jar to incorporate the ribbon/fiber elements that are consistent in my designs.

Just adding a bit of colored pencil coloring within the doodled lines helped continue the color-theme and connect the border to the jar image.

So...The next time you're thinking of making a holiday card, think OUTSIDE of the box.  Change it up a bit because you don't have to stick to traditional holiday images when making handmade cards!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the rest of Christmas in July!

Seas the Day...Don't Let Go!

Hello there coffee loving friends!  I'm so excited to share my projects for the Coffee Lovers Blog Hop again this go-round!  I'll be sharing a new creation each and every day on this blog as well as my Fun Stampers Journey Blog.  As a Super Sponsor, I'll be awarding one lucky hopper a special coffee-loving prize on my FSJ page so you'll want to stop over there each and every day to see what I have to share.

Today I'm joining my fellow Joy Clair Design Team sisters in the hop.  Joy Clair is a new Super Sponsor for the Spring CLH and we're excited to share our fun projects with you.  You can visit the Joy Clair blog HERE to see all of the designer entries.  :)

I always love to look at stamp sets in a different way, especially HOW I can incorporate them into a COFFEELICIOUS design.  SOOO...This was a fun adventure for me!  I designed an exclusive Coffee Lovers Blog Hop coordinating OCTOPUS CUP image that I call "Don't Let Go!" It works perfectly with the Joy Clair's Seas the Day set.

In my creation, I am featuring the Joy Clair Seas The Day set (A FAVORITE), the Wood Background and to coffee-ize it, I drew up a fun octopus coffee cup.  This octopus is definitely not ready to let go of his cup any time soon!  Hope you enjoy!

I started out by stamping the wood background onto Kraft card base using some brown ink.  After that, I rubbed a bit of white ink along the edges to "weather" it up a bit.  I stamped the jellyfish and sentiment onto white cardstock then colored them with watercolor pencils.  I stamped the waves in the set with some aqua ink then added a bit of sparkle to it, tore the edges a bit and attached them to the card with glue.  I wanted to create a look similar to washi.  

 Don't you think the wavy stamp works well as a faux washi???

I attached some twine along the top and started coloring my hand drawn image (I digitized it so that I could print it over and over again!  After printing the images and coloring the octopus cup with watercolor markers

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you enjoyed seeing my creation and hope you return again tomorrow for another fun coffee share!