Merry Christmas

Today's card was created for the latest Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge. I love all of the Christmas cards I create but this one was one of my favorites from the batch I created this year. I love the papers and that adorable little snowman. This adorable little card was created using pretty patterned papers from Echo Park's Merry Christmas 12x12 paper pad and the glittery My Mind's Eye Oh Christmas Tree 12x12 paper pad, PaperTrey Ink's Winter Snow Globe stamp and die set, a pierced edge tag die from My Favorite Things, Amy R's Christmas Sentiment stamp set, some pretty chocolate chip baker's twine from Stampin' UP, and a random button that I had laying around the house. I love this card and had so much fun creating it. I hope you have a safe and happy new year! 

Christmas Brings Out The Kid In Us All

Today's card was created for the latest Merry Monday Christmas Card Challenge. The challenge was to create a fun winter theme. I realized after I saw the inspiration photo that I'd not used my Recollections Polar Pals stamp set all year to create a single card and thought this challenge would be the perfect excuse to remedy that. I started by prepping a piece of white cardstock with my EK Success anti-static tool and stamped the snowflakes from the stamp set using Versamark clear ink and then heat embossed them using some Recollections embossing powder in snow white. I then inked the panel to create a sky using Tim Holtz Distress Ink in broken china. I die cut a snowy slope using a Paper Smooches edge die and some more white cardstock. I stamped the polar bear and the snowman onto Copic-friendly cardstock, colored them using my alcohol markers, and fussy cut them out leaving a white border around the outer edges. I stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set onto the snowy bank, adhered the snowman behind it using my Zig 2-way glue pen. Using my Copic BG10 marker I created a small lake onto the snowy bank and popped my polar bear up using Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. I love how adorable this card turned out and hope you like it too!

You Make An Ugly Sweater Look Good

Today's card was created for the latest Fusion Card Challenge. I chose to stick to the sketch only on this one. I love the simplicity of it but chose to turn mine on its side for a landscape card. I started by layering some cherry cobber cardstock from Stampin' UP onto my white card base and then cut a smaller panel of patterned paper from the American Crafts Wish List 6x6 paper pad down and adhered it directly onto the card. I stamped the sweater image from Simon Says Stamps Ugly Sweater stamp set onto some Copic-friendly cardstock using Memento tuxedo black ink. I then stamped the Christmas tree from the same stamp set onto the image and colored it in using my alcohol markers. I die cut a fun x-stitched edge circle using a Gina Marie Designs die and then adhered it directly onto the card. Using my mini-Misti I lined the sentiment up onto the card and stamped them right where I wanted them. I fussy cut the sweater image out and popped it up off of the focal panel using Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. I added some shimmer to the sentiment and a few select images by using my At You Spica clear shimmer pen and then added some Stickles to the ornaments and some of the elements on the sweater. I love this fun and whimsical card!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

                                                   

Today's card was created for the latest The Male Room challenge.  I started by layering some patterned papers from the My Mind's Eye Signature Christmas 6x6 paper pad onto my white card base. I love the rich, vintage, and masculine look of this paper pad. I inked around the outer edges of all of the patterned paper with some Tim Holtz distress ink in tea dye for a nice distressed and vintage look.  I then stamped the fun Stampabilities Merry Little Christmas stamp onto some plain white cardstock using Memento cocoa brown ink at the top of the stamp and some Gina K Designs asparagus ink at the bottom for a nice two-tone look. I die cut the image using a My Favorite Things pierced edge oval die and then went around the outer edges with some more distress ink. I popped the oval panel up off of the card using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals and then added some Nuvo Crystal Drops in dark walnut to the corners and the oval panel for some additional texture and interest. I hope you like it!

Have A Cozy Holiday-Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb

Yes, it's another installment of "Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb" and we have another fun guest designer with us this month, the very talented Carly Pool. And since this month's collaboration happened to fall smack in the middle of the 2016 Winter Coffee Lovers Bloghop we thought it would be fun to do a holiday coffee card and link our cards up for the hop too! Fun, right? 

My card was created using a beautiful image from the Power Poppy Cozy Cupfuls stamp set, which I bought specifically with the winter blog hop in mind. It's full of gorgeous images using teacups and mugs combined with sweet little birds, presents, and trees trimmed for the holidays. I suspect I will be using this set for my holiday card needs for many years to come! To create my card I started with a white card base and layered on some pretty patterned paper from the My Mind's Eye The Merry Days Of Christmas 6x6 paper pad, which I pinked around the edges using a pair of pinking scissors. I went around the edges of the paper with some Tim Holtz distress ink in tea dye to give it a nice distressed, vintage look.  I then die cut a stitched rectangle using more of the patterned paper and a die from Gina Marie Designs. I inked around the edges of the panel and stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set using some Versafine onyx black ink for a nice crisp image. I matted the rectangle panel onto some plain white cardstock and popped the panel up using some 3M foam tape after adding some pretty red and white ribbon I found last year in my local Target's dollar bin to each of the opposing corners. I then stamped my pretty cocoa and presents image onto some Copic-friendly cardstock and colored it using my alcohol markers in colors that coordinated with the patterned papers. Once colored, I fussy cut the image, inked around the outer edges with my Memento tuxedo black dual tip marker for a nice clean die cut look and mounted the image up off of the panel using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. As a finishing touch I added some sparkle to a few of the details on the image using my At You Spica sparkling clear glitter pen for some shimmer and shine and a few beautiful red enamel dots I created using Nuvo crystal drops in rhubarb crumble. I hope you like it!

As for my coffee selection I opted for a toasty warm Starbucks Skinny Peppermint Mocha Latte because it's gotten quite cold here in southeast Missouri and I needed to warm up after my morning run this morning. And yes, it was as tasty as it sounds!

Don't forget to pop on over to Deb's and Carly's blogs and check out what fun creations they have to share with you. If you like what you see here and on their sites be sure and show a little blog love by leaving a comment and have fun hopping through all of the fun and wonderful coffee/cocoa/tea creations along the hop!

       

O Come Let Us Adore Him

Today's card was created for the latest AAA Cards Challenge. I was so excited to share this one because I just received this beautiful stamp in the mail this week after snagging it from a fellow crafter's destash online! This image is a wood mount Inkadinkado stamp and I love the quiet serenity it portrays. I'm a huge fan of fall and winter so images like this one really resonate with me. I stamped the image onto some Copic-friendly cardstock using Memento tuxedo black ink. I did some very minimal coloring using only my B60 around the trees to mimic a lightly overcast winter sky, some C0 and C1 on the rooftops of the chapel, and R56 on the door for a nice little pop of color. I die cut the image using a stitched rectangle die from Gina Marie Designs and then stamped the sentiment from the Taylored Expressions Sing Of The King stamp set using Versafine onyx black ink. I added some 3M foam tape to the back and popped the panel up off of the plain white card base. Once the panel was adhered onto the card I added some glue using my Zig two-way glue pen to some selected areas of the image and then sprinkled on some beautiful white glitter by Wow! for some additional sparkle. I love how pretty it turned out and hope you like it too!

Merry Christmas

My first card today was created for the latest Addicted To Stamps And More challenge. To create my holiday themed card I started by layering some red cardstock from Stampin' UP onto my white card base and then layered some pretty patterned paper from the American Crafts Jolly 6x6 paper pad on top. I then die cut a scalloped edge rectangle panel using a Gina Marie die and popped it up off of the card using some 3M foam tape. I stamped the stocking image from Hero Arts K5254 wooden stamp directly onto the panel and colored the ribbon in using my Uni-ball Signo white gel pen for some nice contrast. I then stamped the image again onto some Copic-friendly cardstock, colored the images using my alcohol markers, fussy cut them, and went around the edges of each one using my Memento tuxedo black dual tip marker for a nice clean die cut look. I added a few details using my white gel pen and then popped the stockings up off of the card using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. For the final touch I stamped the sentiment from the Papertrey Ink Winter Snow Globe stamp set at the top of the panel. I hope you like this whimsical and fun little card!

Let It Snow

Today's card was created for the latest Less Is More challenge. This week's challenge called for a "recipe" of emboss resist. It's been a while since I used this technique on a card and wanted to play along and challenge myself. I started with a piece of white cardstock and, after prepping the surface with my powder tool, I stamped the two smallest snowflakes from the Stampabilities Winter Wonderland stamp set using Versamark ink and heat set them using Recollections snow white embossing powder. Once dry I inked the panel with Tim Holtz distress ink in broken china and faded jeans, creating a nice ombre effect. I took a tissue and brushed off the excess ink from the snowflakes and then spritzed the panel with both water and frost shimmer spray by Tsukineko. I love using that shimmer spray on snowy scenes because of the beautiful shimmer it gives. While that base panel was drying I stamped Purple Onion's Merry Snowman out onto some Copic-friendly cardstock and colored him in using my alcohol markers. I fussy cut around the image and freehand cut the snowy slopes around him. I edged the image using my dual tipped Memento tuxedo black marker. I then adhered the image directly to the distressed panel. I stamped the sentiment from Amy R's Big Christmas Wishes stamp set and, even though you can't see it in the photo, added some pretty shimmer to the letters using my clear Spica shimmer marker. I love how adorably sweet this card turned out and may have to mass produce this one. Thank you for visiting my blog today and if this card put a smile on your face be sure to leave a comment...I appreciate them all!

Wishing You A Warm & Cozy Day

I usually create all of my Christmas cards in the summer months so they are ready come holiday season but I fell short on that amount this year and needed to create a few more. I recently picked up the My Favorite Things Cozy Mittens stamp and die set from a fellow crafter on a destash sale and had yet to break it out and get it inky. I started with a pre-cut and scored kraft cardbase from American Crafts. I cut down a white cardstock panel and inked the edges using Tim Holtz distress ink in tea dye and added some faux brown stitches around the outer edge using the thin tip of my Zig writer pen in chocolate brown. I die cut the mittens using the same white cardstock and inked them up using the detail stamps from the set and inks in chocolate brown, sky blue, and baby pink and then inked around the edges for a nice vintage look. I die cut the buttons using a MFT button die and threaded some ivory twine from We R Memory Keepers through and tied a bow. I adhered each of the buttons down to the mittens using glue dots. I stamped the sentiment onto some white cardstock and used a few of the detail elements to add a nice border at the top and bottom and then using a tag die from Paper Smooches I created a fish tail banner out of it. I popped it and the mittens up off of the card using some 3M foam tape and then glued some twine down directly onto the card using some Stampin' UP liquid glue. A few chocolate chip sequins from Pretty Pink Posh complete this card. I hope you like it!

Christmas Wishes-Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb

Hello and welcome to another coffee and cards with Celeste and Deb collaboration. We loved our October collaboration so much that we decided to continue it as a monthly feature on our blogs and, as a special twist, we thought it might be fun to invite some of our fellow crafty friends to join us each month. This month we have Deb's friend Lynne Mizara. I have to admit that I was not familiar with Lynne's work up until our collaboration but after looking at her blog and checking out her work I am smitten. It's beautiful and very detailed! Deb and I let Lynne select the theme for this month's collaboration and she chose snow. It seems fitting since we are rapidly approaching the winter months. I wanted to keep my card subtle and simple. I don't typically do clean and simple cards but I had recently picked up a fun new stamp from Altenew and thought I'd try something different with it and put a slightly masculine twist on it. I started with a clean white card base and stamped the sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp mini Christmas stamp set using Versafine onyx black ink. Using a separate piece of Copic-friendly cardstock I cut a rectangular panel and added some dashed lines using a Paper Smooches edge die. I stamped the pretty winter cabin image onto the cardstock using Altenew's Winter Cottage mini stamp set and then stamped the trees from the Close To My Heart Always Grateful Seasons & Nature stamp set. I love how the trees frame out the scene. I took my Copic B60 pale blue gray maker and added some interest the sky. I then took my Zig two-way glue pen and added some glue to the roof and the trees and sprinkled on some pretty and shimmery clear micro glitter to look snow. To finish my card I popped the focal panel up off of the card using some 3M foam tape. The photo honestly doesn't do the sparkle and shimmer justice...it's so much prettier in person! Now, pop on over to Debra site and Lynne's site  and see what fun they have in store for you today!
As for my choice of beverage, I went for cocoa with a big pile of fluffy marshmallows instead of coffee. Don't get me wrong...I had coffee but it's a chilly 55 degrees here this morning in SE Missouri and after my morning bike ride I wanted something really warm and comforting. So, cocoa it is!

A Harvest Of Blessings

Today's card was created for the latest Sunday Stamps challenge. I adore autumn (it's my favorite time of the year) and I was really drawn to this color combo. I started by layering some crumbcake cardstock onto my white card base. Using patterned papers from the Echo Park Reflections fall 12x12 paper kit I added some pretty layers onto my card. I die cut stamped a die cut the adorable mouse and the accompanying autumn images onto some Copic-friendly cardstock using the My Favorite Things Harvest Mouse stamp set and it's coordinating dies. I colored them to compliment the papers and the adhered them to some circles that I die cut using some dies from My Favorite Things and Spellbinders. I adhered the leaves directly to the circle panel and popped the remaining images up using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. I added some dashed lines in dark brown ink around the outer edges of the card panel, the center striped panel, and the circle panel just to help add some contrast and set the papers apart from each other. For the finishing touch I added that beautiful sentiment from the same stamp set. Thank you for visiting my blog today and I hope my card put a smile on your face!

Hello

Today's card was created for the latest Tag You're It challenge. I absolutely love this gorgeous tag that the very talented Rubeena Naz created. If you're not familiar with Ruby's work you owe it to yourself to check out her blog. You can find it here. Anyway, I typically don't make tags but I was so inspired by this one, especially the colors that I chose to give it a go. I started by layering some beautiful patterned papers from the Mind's Eye Fancy That 6x6 paper pad onto my white card base. I added a pretty piece of gold glitter washi tape from the American Crafts Make It Happen tape combo pack to the side to break up the patterned papers. I then die cut my tag using a pierced edge tag die from My Favorite Things out of some Copic-friendly white cardstock. I stamped the beautiful flower from the Tim Holtz Stamper's Anonymous Flower Garden stamp set directly onto the tag. I stamped the flower top again onto a separate piece of cardstock and colored it in using my Copic alcohol markers. I fussy cut the image out and then covered it in Versamark clear sticky ink so I could cover it with some Zing clear embossing powder and heat set it for a nice shiny look. I popped the image up off of the tag using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals for some great dimension. I then stamped the sentiment from the Winnie & Walter The Big, The Bold, & The Happy stamp set onto the tag using onyx black Versamfine pigment ink and then covered it with clear embossing powder and heat set it. I added a pretty scalloped edge in pink to the bottom of the tag using more of the papers from the paper pack and a bit of glitter washi tape the bottom. I popped the tag up off of the card using some 3M foam tape, added a few sequins from The Ton, and rounded the outer corners using my We R Memory Keepers corner chomper. I love this pretty card and may have to hoard it for a while before sending it off some lucky recipient. I hope you like it too!

Thank You-Coffee And Cards With Celeste and Deb

Hello, and Happy Halloween a day early! Debra Davison and I decided we liked our collaborations so much we would continue them past the month of October indefinitely! This week we decided to challenge ourselves with a sketch. I found this one on Pinterest. I don't know about you but I love Pinterest and when I find myself in a creative funk I troll around on there for a while and it usually gets my creative juices flowing. Anyway, I started my card with some smoky grey cardstock from Stampin' UP and layered on some gorgeous patterned papers from Authentique's Essentials Collection 6x6 paper pad. I stamped the beautiful flower from Stamper's Anonymous's Flower Garden stamp set, which I just snagged on sale this last week on Blitsy! I colored the image using Copic markers to match the patterned paper. I then added the sentiment from Stamper's Anonymous's Crazy Talk stamp set. I love how beautifully it turned out! As for my coffee selection this week, I stopped off at Panera Bread and picked up a nice pumpkin latte in honor of fall and all things Halloween! If you like my card please leave a comment and be sure to pop on over to Deb's site and leave her a little blog love too!

Thankful And Happy

Wow, I can't believe it's been a week since I've posted anything on my poor neglected blog! I started a new job a few weeks ago and things have been a bit chaotic adjusting to the change. Hopefully I will settle into a routine there soon and things will return to a more normal state for me. Anyway, today's card was created for the latest Time Out Challenge. This week is a word challenge..."Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart." I think this is the first card I've done in a long time that has absolutely no stamping on it at all! Everything you see on this card, except for the espresso brown cardstock from Stampin' UP, is from a beautiful paper collection by Echo Park in collaboration with Lori Whitlock called Recollections.  I created my card by layering the brown cardstock onto my white card base and then cutting some of the plaid patterned paper in the kit down slightly smaller to layer on top. I then die cut the scalloped edge panel using more brown cardstock and a die by Gina Marie Designs. I layered a smaller rectangle piece of patterned paper from the kit onto the center of the scalloped panel and then added some ephemera stickers from the collection onto the panel. So, a beautiful card ready for sending without ever inking up a stamp! Thank you for stopping by my blog today and if you like my card please leave a comment! 

Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb-Part IV

For part IV of our month long collaboration, Debra Davison of Meticulocity and I decided to do a spooky theme since Halloween is right around the corner.  I chose to use a new digital stamp that was released this month by TLC Creations called Halloween Brew. I love this fun digital stamp set and, because it's digital, it can be manipulated to almost any printable size. I started by stamping a spiderweb background stamp (manufacturer unknown) onto some black cardstock using Versamark ink and heat embossed it using Recollections snow white embossing powder and layering that panel at an angle onto some orange cardstock from Hobby Lobby. I added a piece of black and white Recollections ribbon onto the cardstock panels and then wrapped some black American Crafts hemp twine on top of the ribbon before adhering it all down onto the card base. I printed the ghost image from the digital stamp set out onto Copic friendly cardstock and colored the image in using my Copic markers. I die cut the image out using an "x" stitch framed circle die from Gina Marie Designs. I popped the circle panel up using Scrapbook Adhesive foam squares and adhered it down onto the card panel. I tied a small bow using some more of the black hemp twine combined with some orange and tied that onto the card. I added some clear Wink Of Stella onto the ghost, some glossy accents to the coffee, and some black and orange sequins from Pretty Pink Posh to the panel to complete this fun and spooktacular card! As for my coffee selection this week? Yup, you guessed it...black coffee. To be exact, Seattle's Best Coffee French Roast served black in a nice mug my best friend brought back from her daughter's university! Anway, I hope you like the card and be sure and pop on over to Deb's blog and leave her some blog love!

Merry & Bright

Okay, this is my final card for the day. I've been on something of a tear. I honestly had every intention of getting outside to do some yard work but I went and had a big lunch with my bestie and her daughter who was home from college and my full belly pretty much shot my desire to get out in the yard and pull weeds and dig up old flowers. So, I sat inside and made pretty things instead! This card was created for the latest Unity Show & Tell Facebook challenge. I love this pretty sketch and wanted to use a new stamp set that I'd picked up on the last Unity Stamp Company sale. I started by layering some pretty patterned papers from the Heidi Swapp Noel 6x6 paper pad onto my white card base. I then stamped the beautiful Angie girl from the Joy Girl stamp set onto some Copic friendly white carstock. I stamped the image several times onto various pieces of the same patterned paper so I could fussy cut the images out and paper piece the sweater, ornament, and hat onto the image. I colored and shaded all of the images, glued them all together, and then die cut the entire panel using a pretty stitched edge rectangle die from Gina Marie Designs. I added some two glue to a few of the details on the image and sprinkled some micro glitter in both sparkling clear and black. I just love how sparkly and pretty it turned out. I stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set onto white cardstock and cut it down by hand to create a small fishtail banner. I popped it and the focal panel up off of the card using some foam squares from Scrapbook Adhesives. I hope you like it!

Gratitude

My second card today was created for the latest The Paper Players challenge. I created my card by starting with a clean, white card base. I then cut down a panel a 1/4" smaller and inked the center using a Tim Holtz ink blending tool and some Memento peanut brittle ink. On a separate piece of cardstock I stamped the sentiment and the leaves and acorns from the Stampin' UP Day Of Gratitude stamp set using Memento inks in rich cocoa, pear tart, and peanut brittle. I die cut the sentiment using a pierced edge oval die from My Favorite Things and then stamped some additional leaves using the same stamp set around the outer edge using more of the peanut brittle ink. I added a few dark cocoa dots around the images for some additional interest. I popped the die cut oval up off of the card using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals and adhered the leaves directly onto the card using some snail adhesive. I popped the two acorns up off of the card using more Stampin' UP foam dimensionals and called this card done! I hope you like it!

Perk Up

Today's card was created for the latest Addicted To CAS challenge. 

As I've mentioned before, I have a problem creating clean and simple cards. I like layers and dimension on my cards but thought I could definitely get behind a clean and simple card involving coffee. I started by layering a small strip of woodgrain paper from a cheap Target 6x6 paper pad onto my white card base and added some squiggly lines around the outer edge of my card using my Memento tuxedo black dual tip marker. I then stamped the coffee pot and the mug images from the Your Next Stamp Perk UP stamp set directly onto my card base for placement. I then stamped all of the images again onto Copic friendly cardstock, colored them all in using autumn colors, fussy cut them out, and mounted them onto the card using Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. For a finishing touch I added some glossy accents to all of the elements for some additional dimension and shine. Love how quick and easy this card was to create! 

Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb-Part 3

Hello, and thank you for stopping by! For our third week of our month long collaboration my crafty friend Debra Davison and I decided to do a fall themed card. Years ago, when I first started making cards I was mainly purchasing 12x12 paper pads, which I quickly learned were too large scaled in pattern to work for a standard A2 sized card. The larger patterns just get lost on such a small surface. As a result, I have a large collection of 12x12 papers that I am hoarding, waiting for the right moment to use them. While digging through my stash of papers I discovered a paper pad that I had purchased years ago to create a family themed mini photo album and felt they would be perfect for my fall themed card. All of the papers are from the Simple Stories Generations paper collection. I started with a floral base and layered on some craft paper on top that I added some dimension to by popping it up with some 3M foam tape. I then die cut some of the patterned papers from the collection using a Jillian Vance fishtail banner die. I arranged them onto the card and popped them up using more foam tape. I die cut some very small circles from more of the same craft cardstock using a My Favorite Things pierced edge circle die. I then stamped all of the coffee images onto white card stock using the Unity Stamp Company Coffee Side By Side stamp set. I colored the images using Copic markers, added glossy accents to a few of the images and some Stickles to others and then fussy cut them out. I mounted them directly to each little circle and then adhered them directly onto each banner. I stamped the sentiment in a dark charcoal brown ink from Gina K Designs using The Latina Crafter's Need Caffeine stamp set. I added some dark brown baker's twine to the ends of the banners and some dark brown faux stitches around the inside edge of the focal panel and called this card done. As for my coffee choice this week, I actually opted for a Chai Tea Latte from Panera's. Yesterday was a beautiful day and after a 3 mile run, laundry, grocery shopping, a haircut, and catching up with a couple of friends I opted to end my day with a nice Greek salad, a small cup of warm pumpkin soup, and a latte! It was the perfect ending to a long but wonderful day! Now, pop on over to Deb's blog, Meticulosity and show her some love! 

Superman Happy Birthday

Today's card was created for my son Brian's upcoming 36th birthday. I still can't believe I have a child that old but that's the sad reality. Cue heavy sigh!  Anyway, he is obsessed with Superman. My son is an advanced infantry airborne Ranger who is now a CWII Black Hawk pilot in the U.S. Army. Back when he was stationed with the 2/75th Ranger Regiment out of Ft. Lewis in Tacoma, WA he had a night jump that went horribly wrong and fell the equivalent of two stories from the plane. After recovering from his injuries he got a large superman crest tattooed on his back and jokes now that he's Superman because he can fly. I'm not as amused by that story as he is but he most certainly has earned the right to tell it. It doesn't hurt that he's as muscular as Superman so I guess there are similarities. 

Here is a photo of he and Erika, my beautiful daughter in-law. 

They most certainly are a handsome couple, yes? 

Anyway, to create his card I kept it pretty simple so the Superman figure would be the main feature. I started with a piece of patterned paper from the Bazzill's Adventures 6x6 paper pad and layered it directly onto my white card base. I then downloaded a Superman image from online and digitally altered it to fit my card. I printed it onto Copic-friendly cardstock and colored the black & white image using my Copic markers. I fussy cut the image out and lined the edges with my Memento dual tip black marker so it would appear to be a perfectly cut die cut image. I popped the image up off of the card using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals and then stamped the sentiment from Winnie & Walters The Big, Bold, & You stamp set using Versafine onyx black ink and while the ink was still set I covered it with Zing clear embossing powder and heat set it so it would have a nice raised, glossy look. I went around the edges of the card with a blending tool and some black soot Tim Holtz distress ink for a nice grungy look. I'm sure he will love it! Thanks for stopping by!

Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb-Part 2

Welcome to the second week of my collaboration with my friend Debra Davison of Meticulosity. We are doing a coffee and card collaboration every Sunday for the entire month of October. This week we decided to focus on the color pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month. For my card I opted to focus on the people who take care of those suffering with cancer; whether that be a doctor, a nurse, caregiver, family member or friend. Coping with cancer is hard on everyone involved and I wanted this card to pay homage to those who are strong in the face of something horrible because I really do think they make a difference in the lives of cancer patients. For my card I started by layering on a piece of basic black cardstock from Stampin' UP that I had embossed using a honeycomb embossing folder from Momenta. I then prepped a piece of Canson coldpress watercolor paper using my EK Success powder tool and stamping the images from Unity Stamp Company's You Can & You Will stamp set using Versafine onyx black ink. I then heat set the ink by sprinkling on some clear embossing powder by Zing. I stamped the butterfly image twice...once onto to main focal panel and again onto a second piece so I could heat emboss it and fussy cut out the three butterflies. Using Tim Holtz distress inks in spun sugar, picked raspberry, and black soot I watercolored the background using a smooshing technique and added some flecks of black by flicking my brush against the back of my hand. I painted the three separate butterflies and mounted them up off of the card using some 3M foam tape. I popped the butterflies up using small pieces of Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. As for my coffee, again...my choice is always going to be black Seattle's Best French Roast. I know...boring! Please pop on over to Deb's page and show her some blogger love by leaving a comment and/or subscribing! Thank you for stopping by!

Christmas Wishes

Today's adorable little elf Christmas card was created for the latest Merry Monday and Send A Smile 4 Kids challenges. I created my card by layering on some adorable printed papers from the American Crafts Wish List 6x6 paper pad onto my white card base. I then added a small strip of glitter paper from the Paper Studio Glittered Cardstock paper pad in a coordinating green. I cut some fishtail banners using some more of the same green glitter paper, some cherry cobbler red cardstock from Stampin' UP, and some white cardstock from Staples using some Jillian Vance dies and adhered them directly onto the card. I then die cut a scalloped circle using a Spellbinders die and a white circle using a My Favorite Things pierced circle die. I stamped the tree onto the white circle panel using the larger tree stamp from the Simon Says Stamp Be Joyful stamp set and the stump from the WPlus9 Pretty Patches stamp set. I then stamped the adorable little elf onto some Copic-friendly cardstock using the Stampendous Snowy Short Stacks stamp set and colored him in using Copic markers. I fussy cut him out and went all around the edges with my dual tip Memento black marker for a nice clean look. I popped him up off of the focal panel using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. Using my We R Memory Keepers corner chomper I rounded the corners and added some black dashed lines all around the outer edge of the card and the focal circle panel. I also added some pretty shimmer to the elf and the tree using my Sakura clear star gelly roll pen. I love how adorably this turned out and plan on mass duplicating it to donate to the Send A Smile 4 Kids card drive. I hope you like it and don't forget to leave a comment and subscribe. Thanks!

Halloween Witch

My second card today was created for the latest The Paper Players challenge. I started with a white card base and layered on a panel of beautiful orange patterned paper that I found in a cheap 6x6 paper pad in the $3 bin at Target. I then scanned a digitally altered the witch image from the Molly Harrison Whimsical World adult coloring book. Once I was happy with the size of the image I printed it out onto some Copic-friendly heavy weight white cardstock and colored it in using my Copic markers. I cut the panel down and mounted it up off of the card using some 3M foam tape. I added some additional details to the card by adding some stars to the sky using my Uni-Ball Signo white gel pen and some shimmer and shine to the witch's hat, the eyes of the cat, and the pumpkin by adding some Stickles glitter. I love the little touch of sparkle it adds to the card. I will be giving this card to my bestie who absolutely loves witches! I hope you like it...I know she will!

Hello

Today's card was created for the latest Just Us Girls and The Male Room challenges . I love that autumn is finally here in the Midwest and jumped at the chance to create a card showcasing the beauty of the season. I started by layering on some kraft cardstock from Hobby Lobby onto a white card base. I then cut a panel 1/4" smaller and stamped the sentiment from Winnie & Walter's The Big The Bold & The Happy's stamp set at the bottom right corner using Gina K Designs ink in charcoal brown. I then took some Canson watercolor paper and did a smooshing and spritzing technique using 3 colors of Tim Holtz distress inks and dried the paper fully. Once dry I punched the leaves out using an EK Success leaf punch and then inked around the edges with Tim Holtz tea dye ink to give it a more distressed look. I added some Lawn Fawn twine in oatmeal and gold around the panel of the card and then mounted the leaves up off of the card using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. I added a bow using a glue dot, and called this card done. I hope you like it!

Coffee And Cards With Celeste and Deb-Part 1

Today's card is part of a blog collaboration between my friend Debra Davison of Meticulosity and myself. Debra and I met through a shared love of card making and have been friends for about two years now. She and I are both in the medical field (she is a critical care RN and I'm a phlebotomist and medical assistant) and we both love coffee and crafting! We thought it would be fun to do a month of collaborations every Sunday for the month of October highlighting our love of card making and coffee. Today's card is in honor of Debra because she is a cancer survivor. Debra was diagnosed with thyroid cancer one year ago and, after some grueling radiation therapy, is alive and well today and continues to share her crafty goodness with the blogging world! This card represents the colors of thyroid cancer awareness. I started my card by layering some Stampin' UP basic black cardstock onto a white card base. I then die cut a piece of Canson cold pressed watercolor paper down 1/4" smaller and painted bold swatches of turquoise, purple, and pink using a Simply Art watercolor palette. Once dry I layered on a smaller piece of white cardstock that I'd cut using a Gina Marie Designs wonky stitch die and matted it with the same black cardstock. I popped it up using some 3M foam tape and stamped the sentiment from the A-Muse Studio's Fight Like A Girl stamp set. I then die cut the butterfly using My Favorite Things butterfly die and watercolor paper as the base layer and black cardstock as the top layer.  I added more of the same watercolors to the base layer and dried it using my heat tool. Once dry I attached the two layers together and added some large clear rhinestones from Recollections to both the butterfly and the corners of the focal panel. As for my coffee, I have to say my selection is going to be much more boring than Debra's since I'm pretty much a dark roast black coffee drinker. My selection today is Seattle's Best Rich Dark Roast served in a Pier One mug. I know...pretty boring! LOL. Anyway, please hop on over to Debra's page and show her some love by leaving a comment and/or subscribing to her blog!

Home For The Holidays

Today's card was created for the latest Addicted To Stamps And More challenge. To create my holiday card I started with a white card base and layered on some Stampin' UP basic black cardstock. I then layered on some patterned papers from the Pinkfresh Studio Christmas Wishes 6x6 paper pad. I then added a small strip of the same black cardstock between the patterned papers for a bit more contrast. I stamped the adorable bear from Stampin' UP's Thankful Forest Friends onto the same black cardstock using Versamagic ink and heat embossed the image using some Recollections snow white embossing powder. I fussy cut the image and layered it onto the card using some Stampin' UP dimensionals and some additional elements from the Pinkfresh Studio Christmas Wishes ephemera pack. I added a few clear 4mm and black 6mm sequins from Pretty Pink Posh to finish this adorable card. I hope you like it!