What's Brewing?

I've been wanting a set of coffee themed stamps for a while, but just haven't found one that appealed to me. This one from Impression Obsession came really close though! I wish it had a couple more images to the set though, maybe a coffee pot, a gift tag, or something like it. I'm a coffee NUT, love it, have to have it!

I tried stamping it onto plain white cardstock, but wasn't liking the results. I'm having some ink pad 'issues' at the moment with an old Burnt Umber Palette pad. I've had it for a loooong time, I use it for almost all of my stamped images, until recently, that is. For some reason, it won't stamp clearly anymore. Parts of the image come out light, others too dark. It's fully reinked, that was the first thing I did when it started acting up, then it was too juicy, so I had to blot some of the ink off. Well, I just don't know what the problem is. Rubber or clear just won't stamp crisp and clean anymore for me. So I'm testing out all sorts of new brown ink pads to use with my colored pencils, or water coloring. I love the Sepia Versafine ink, but the brown is just a tad too light. I'm using Memento at the moment, but I'm not fully satisfied with that ink either, seems to produce some 'fuzzy' lines. I've tried Brilliance brown, Ancient Page, Adirondack, etc. etc. ..sigh... I really loved my Palette Burnt Umber. Maybe I should just get a new one.

Anyhoo--I finally stamped the sentiment and coffee mug onto Kraft paper, and liked that. Little bit of colored pencil to add some color, too.

Now I'm off to brew me some coffee!

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: Memento, Distress

Paper: Papertrey Ink, Me and My Big Ideas, SU!

Accessories: Spellbinders Labels 4, Nestabilities, Grosgrain ribbon, striped taffeta ribbon, PTI button/twine, Stickles, Liquid Glass

Vintage Picnic

You know what makes me really happy? The fact that Papertrey Ink is making more outline stamps for coloring! I've always loved their stamps, but they didn't have too many line art stamps. Their collection is starting to grow, and I love it! This picnic basket set is a perfect example! Loads of coloring options, for every season! Now that is a well thought out and versatile stamp set.

This is just a pretty every day card, I'll add a sentiment when I decide who gets it. I used Cosmo Cricket's Little Girl Biography paper collection. Beautiful colors, aren't they?

Thanks for looking!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink

Ink: Palette, Distress

Paper: PTI, Cosmo Cricket, Bazzill, Strathmore w/c paper

Accessories: Fiskars apron lace punch, PTI button/twine, Wrights satin ribbon, Copics, colored pencils, OMS, Stickles, Cuttlebug EF

Flippin' Sweet!

Everyone I showed this card to got a big laugh, I love the sentiment! It just cracks me up! I just couldn't think of anything to go with flip flops for a birthday and I had Napoleon Dynamite on the brain, I guess, LOL! So I printed it off on my computer.

I stamped the flip flop stamp from Impression Obsession's Flip Out clear set in Adirondack ink onto DP and cut it out. The flower was stamped onto vellum, then cut out as well. A little orange rhinestone and you've got some really groovy beach wear!

I embossed the shimmery cardstock with a wave pattern Sizzix texture plate, and finished off the card with some aqua twill ribbon and a button.

I have tons of stuff to share in the coming weeks, so keep coming back!

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Impression Obsession

Ink: Adirondack

Paper: My Mind's Eye, Worldwin shimmer cardstock, Bazzill

Accessories: Nestabilities, Twill ribbon, PTI button, rhinestones, SU scallop oval & oval punches, Sizzix texture plate

Wedding Wishes

This is a little wedding card I made a few weeks ago for someone I know. I never got a chance to use PTI's With Sympathy set, so I thought this might be the perfect opportunity! I decided to go monochromatic with this one, since I love Stampin Up's old 'in' color Soft Sky. It's a good thing I found a perfect match for this color in Bazzill paper(sea salt), because if I ever run out I'll cry!

Anyway, I embossed the flourishes with white EP, then stamped some of the flowers in Versamark.

It's such a serene feeling card, isn't it? I think when I eventually get my own craft room/studio built I will paint the walls this color! I really love it.

Well it's another rainy day here in NE PA, blahh! Way too much rain around here lately, but I guess the alternative is 90 degrees and humid, no thank you! It's supposed to be nice this weekend though, we'll be heading 2 hours north to a ramshackle cabin on the lake for some fishin' and bar-b-que! I need the R & R in the worst way...

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Papertrey Ink, Verve Visual

Ink: Versamark, SU

Paper: PTI, SU, vellum

Accessories: Spellbinders Labels die, white EP, white grosgrain ribbon, self stick pearls,

Bella Bouquet

I forgot all about this sweet little bouquet of wildflowers from Stamping Bella! I was digging through my stamps the other night trying to find something and saw this sitting all by it's lonesome, UNINKED! So I put it to good use immediately. LOL.

Of course it was a perfect opportunity to use more Strano Designs striped ribbon. I colored the bouquet to match the ribbon, how's that for coordination! Then luckily, I was able to coordinate everything with the mat stack paper from DCWV. That rarely happens, but the stars were aligned perfectly that day, or something, because this card practically made itself.

Anyway, hope you like it, and thanks for stopping by!

Stamps: Stamping Bella

Ink: Versafine

Paper: Bristol, DCWV, PTI, SU

Accessories: Striped ribbon, white ribbon, Stickles, Liquid Pearls, colored pencils, OMS, Fiskars edger punch, PTI button

Wisteria and Daisies

When you have big beautiful flowers like these Prima daisies, what else do you really need on a card? My plan was to actually stamp something on this card, too, but it just didn't need it! Some beautiful DP from Basic Grey, a little gorgeous ribbon, and there you have it.

I cut a frame using Spellbinders Labels dies, popped it up with foam tape, and voila--a simple, elegant frame for the daisy. I probably could've dug through my stash to find a small birthday sentiment, or something, but I figured I could always add it when I figure out who's gonna get it! I do this a lot, and it works better for me. I can't tell you how many times I needed a card for someone, I'll be digging through my stash for just the right one, but they all have sentiments that are just 'not right'. So I usually end up ripping it apart and adding a new one, or making an entirely new card from scratch. This way is better.

Hope it inspires!

Paper: Strathmore watercolor paper, Prism, Basic Grey

Ink: Versamagic, Colorbox Fluid Chalk

Accessories: Spellbinders Labels die, Martha Stewart ribbon, blue grosgrain ribbon, self stick pearls, Prima daisies, MM antique brads, snowflake punch from The Punch Bunch, Stickles, PTI button

Tilda & Edwin Tours And Paradise Magnolia DT Cards

Work has been verrrry busy since the kids have been out of school, working more hours, coming week has even more hours! No time for crafting it seems, :-(
Here are the last two DT cards for Magnolia, neither have Tilda or Edwin in it! So if you're not a fan of the sweet, no-mouthed children, Magnolia still has gorgeous stamps for you!

I am very fond of the scenery stamps Magnolia has been coming out with. They are pretty large, so Tilda would be in good proportion to them. Perhaps sitting on the edge of the scene. But I chose not to do that this time, the flowers and the waterfall were so beautiful I didn't want to detract from them with another image.

I usually don't like images of motor vehicles, I've never used one before, but this is what I like about being on a DT! I must work with what they send me, and it forces me to work outside of my comfort zone. Which is a good thing! I never would've chosen a stamp like this one, but I really ended up liking it! Fun to color, I used Liquid Glass for the windows (darn the camera for not catching that again!), it's so cute and fun! I made it look like it was zipping off into the sunset, (or sunrise) which is actually circles of DP cut with Nesties.

As soon as I saw this cute SUV image, I knew that's what I was going to do with it. The sentiment is made with my Just Rite stamps, since I didn't have any 'travel' words to use.

Thanks for looking, enjoy your Sunday!

Waterfall card-

Stamps: Magnolia

Ink: Palette

Paper: Bristol vellum, Bazzill, PTI

Accessories: Sizzix texture plate, colored pencils, OMS, Stickles, Fiskars Apron Lace punch

Bon Voyage card--

Stamps: Magnolia, JustRite

Ink: Palette

Paper: Bristol vellum, Bazzill, MME, Sassafrass Lass

Accessories: Dew Drops, Liquid Glass, colored pencils, OMS, Nestabilities