Noel-Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb

Holy cow, how is it almost Christmas? I feel like this month has been in hyperdrive. We are less than a week away from Christmas, and the new year is looming large! This month Deb and I chose to use this beautiful Christmas image as our inspiration for our collaboration. I created my card using the color scheme from this photo. I started by layering some basic black cardstock onto my A2 card base. I die cut a panel out of white cardstock using a Spellbinders postage edge die.  I then layered some forest green cardstock on top, and then a panel of kraft cardstock that I embossed using a Spellbinders plaid embossing folder. I stamped and colored the focal images from Concord and 9th's Merry Mantle stamp set, colored them to match the inspiration photo, and die cut them out using the coordinating dies. I die cut the sentiment from the same die set using basic black cardstock. Everything was popped up off of the card using thin foam tape. I added a few clear rhinestones from Recollections around the focal images for a little sparkle and shine. 

For my coffee this month, I opted for a nice cup of dark Dubai chocolate in a fun, snarky mug one of my friends gave me a few years ago. It's very fitting! Now, be sure to head over to Debra's blog and see how she was inspired this month. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year! 

Believe In The Magic Of Christmas-Send A Smile 4 Kids

 

This month at Send A Smile 4 Kids, we are celebrating all things hearts or snowflakes. I chose to use snowflakes. I adhered a piece of patterned paper from My Mind's Eye's Oh What Fun 6x6 paper pad directly onto my white A2 cardbase. I die cut a large circle using die from Gina Marie Designs and used a drifting double edged border die from Simon Says Stamp, I created a snow drift. I inked the background of the circle die with Tim Hotlz salvaged patine distress ink. I stamped the polar bear and sign from My Favorite Things Cool Day stamp set and colored them using my alcohol markers. I fussy cut them out and popped them up off of the card using thin foam tape. I stamped a few of the snowflakes from the same stamp set using my salvaged patina. I added clear sequins from Pretty Pink Posh around the images. I stamped the sentiment below the focal image using Memento tuxedo ink and Miss Ink Stamps Season's Greetings stamp set. I finished this card off with some star dust Stickles on the snow drifts and the sign. Thank you for stopping by my blog today. Be sure to stop by the Send A Smile 4 Kids blog and see how everyone else was inspired. We would love for you to participate in our challenge too! 

Cozy Vibes

 

Hello, happy Monday! I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is this week. I am way behind on creating my holiday cards this year, so the Freshly Made Sketches and Inkspirational challenges was not only fun, but useful in helping me get another card into my stash. I started by layering some pretty green snowflake patterned paper from My Mind's Eye Oh What Fun paper pad onto my card base. I die cut a white panel using a Paper Rose stitched rectangle border die and adhered that down. I created a fishtail banner using a banner die from Unity Stamp Company and adhered that to the focal panel. Using Echo Park's Wintertime Branches dies and paper from K&Co designer mat pad, I created the pine branches and glued them down behind what would be my focal image. I stamped the mug, gingerbread man, candy cane, holly sprig, and sentiment from the Essentials By Ellen Cozy Cuppa stamp set and colored them using my Copic markers. I fussy cut around the images and popped them up off of the card using thin foam tape. I finished the card off with some white gel pen details and sparkly clear confetti from Pink & Main. I appreciate you visiting my blog today!

Leaves Are Falling-Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb

 

As many of you know, my monthly coffee and cards co-host, Debra Davison, is a KCS Designs design team member. Because I don't have a color printer, she was kind enough to print and ship some beautiful papers and images to me this month. We decided it would be fun to create something using those fun designs. Also, as a bonus, Michael Trent, who is also a design team member for them, will be joining us this month! I used the Autumn Coffee Clip Art cups, Shabby Vintage Journal backgrounds, and Autumn Flair Buttons to create my card. I fussy cut the images out, inked around the edges using Tim Holtz vintage photo ink and an ink blending tool. I adhered everything onto a base of medium brown cardstock from my stash that I embossed with Honey Bee Stamps Spring Leaves cover plate for a little additional detail and interest. I popped the mugs and the sentiment button up off of the card using foam tape. I finished it off with some beautiful sequins from Simon Says Stamp. 

My coffee this month is a beautiful lavender latte paired with a coffee macaron from a fun new place I found in St. Louis called Tous Le Jours, a French patisserie with an Asian flair. The food and coffee were amazing!  Now, be sure to head over to Debra and Michael's blogs to see what fun they created with these great digital designs!

Happy Holidays-Send A Smile 4 Kids

 

This month at Send A Smile 4 Kids we are celebrating the holidays. I created my card by stamping the adorable nutcracker using the Recollections Christmas Noel wood block stamp that I picked up from Michael's last year on clearance. I stamped the image three times onto Copic-friendly white cardstock and colored them using my alcohol markers in three different shades. I fussy cut them out. Using left over paper strips, I colored them in the matching inks using my Copic markers. I die cut black panel using a postage edge die from Papertrey Ink. I laid the strips of colored cardstock I created at the bottom of that panel and stamped the sentiment from Sunny Studio Christmas Cookies stamp set using Versafine onyx black ink. Using a piece of green metallic cardstock from Tim Holtz and the Honey Bee Spring Leaves cover plate, I created a textured metallic background. I adhered everything together, aligned the nutcrackers in a row across the focal panel, and adhered the entire panel to my white A2 card base. This was such a fun card to create! Now, be sure to pop on over the Send A Smile 4 Kids blog and see how everyone else was inspired. We would also love it if you participated in our challenge this month!

Happy Halloween-Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb

 

Happy October, and welcome to the latest Celeste and Deb coffee and cards collaboration! This month we are focusing on all things Halloween and spooky! For my card I used some gorgeous, patterned papers from American Crafts Spooky 6x6 collection, a sentiment from Picket Fence's Triple Trouble stamp set, a bat die from Spellbinders Haunted House collection, a skull stamp from Craft Smart, numeric dies from Recollections, and some gorgeous black, sparkly gems from Simon Says Stamp. I followed a fun sketch I found on Pinterest to put this card together. I love how it turned out and hope you do too!

For my coffee this month, I opted for a super spicy chai latte from my local Ziggy's coffee shop. It was as spicy and tasty as it sounds! Now, be sure to head on over to Deb's blog and see what sort of Halloween fun she created this month. She always creates the best cards!

Have A Boo-tiful Halloween

 

Today's card was created for the latest AAA Cards challenge. This card was pretty clean and simple to create. I started by layering some basic black cardstock onto my white A2 card base. Then using the Lil Inkers Ghost die and dark grey, light grey, and white I created a fun trio of ghost in something of an ombre fashion. I stamped the sentiment from Darcie's Heart & Home's Bootiful Halloween stamp set at the bottom right of the card to finish it off. I almost added black and white twine and some gem stickers but really liked the clean simplicity of it! Thank you for stopping by my blog today!

Fall Sweet Fall

 

I recently picked up Unity Stamp Company's Pumpkin Hearth stamp set during a sale, and the company was kind enough to include a sheet of ephemera in with my order. I just couldn't help myself. I had to create a card right away and enter it in a few fun challenges. I will be entering this in the Friends Of Unity Color Challenge, the Color Hues Challenge, and the latest Double D challenge. I started by stamping the background text image from the stamp set with Tim Holtz distress ink directly onto my orange card base from DCWV textured cards. I then stamped the maple leaves from a Cloud 9 stamp set using the same distress ink. I adhered some beautiful fall leaf patterned paper that I had in my stash from Hobby Lobby to a kraft tag. I stamped the pumpkin image on some Ranger heavyweight watercolor paper using Versafine onyx black ink and watercolored the image using more distress inks. I fussy cut the image out and adhered it to the bottom of the tag and cut off the remainder. I backed the tag on some early espresso cardstock from Stampin' UP. I adhered it directly to my card base and cut the top off. I cut out the ephemera and backed the smaller sentiment strip to brown cardstock. I adhered both to the card using thin foam tape. I few gorgeous espresso-colored sequins from The Ton finished off this card. Thank you for stopping by my blog today!

Hot Chocolate Kind Of Day!-Send A Smile 4 Kids

 

This month at Send A Smile 4 Kids, we are showcasing our favorite holiday color combos. This can apply to Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. I have always loved the clean simplicity of a blue and white card. It doesn't even have to be on a Christmas card; I just find it to be so pretty and calming. I recently saw a video from a YouTube creator I subscribe to where she used MFT's rectangle trio stencil in a way that I would never have thought of. I had to try it out for myself, and I love the results! I applied the stencil directly to my white A2 card base and inked it up using a foam applicator and Tim Holtz salvaged patina ink. I stamped the sentiment from Newton's Nook Designs Cup of Cocoa stamp set near the bottom using Memento tuxedo black ink. I applied some black gem stickers from Honey Bee stamp's Freshly Brewed collection on either side of the sentiment. I stamped and colored three of the sweet little mugs from the same Newton's Nook Designs stamp set, colored them in soft blues using my alcohol markers, fussy cut them out, and applied them to my card in a triangle pattern. I finished the card off my adding some clear shimmer pen to the mugs for some added shine. Thank you for stopping by my blog today, and be sure and stop by the Send A Smile 4 Kids blog to see what favorite holiday color combos everyone chose! 

Thinking Of You

 

Today's card was created for the latest Freshly Made Sketches and Just Add Ink card challenges. I created this card by die cutting a panel using plain white cardstock and a stitched nesting rectangle die from Paper Roses. Using Tim Holtz distress ink in shaded lilac, Gina K Designs ink in innocent pink, and Altenew crisp dye ink in blush I stamped the lines using MFT's Abstract Art stamp set. Using Gina K Designs basic black ink, I stamped the floral image from Penny Black's Nature's Jewels stamp set. I stamped the sentiment from Simon Says Stamp's Butterfly Blossoms stamp set and die cut it using the coordinating die. I popped the focal panel up off of the card using thin foam tape, popped the sentiment up, and added some pretty sparkling clear rhinestone gem stickers from Recollections. I appreciate you stopping by my blog today. Have a wonderful day!

Many Thanks

 

Today's card was created for the latest Just Us Girls card challenge. I heat embossed a sentiment from Hero Arts Grateful Pumpkin die and stamp bundle onto my kraft cardstock panel using Ranger gold detail embossing powder. I then layered the panel onto my A2 white card base. Using plain white cardstock, I stamped and heat embossed the pumpkins and leaves from the same stamp and die bundle. Using my Ranger distress inks, I colored them all using a blending brush, die cut them out using their coordinating dies, and layered them onto my card panel. I finished them off with some gold sequins from The Ton. Thank you for visiting my blog today!

Hello Spring Chicken

 

Today's card was created for the latest AAA Birthday card challenge. I created this card by stamping the adorable chicken from Art Impressions Spring Chicken Stamp set onto white Copic-friendly cardstock using Memento tuxedo black ink. I colored the image using my alcohol markers and cut the image out using a stacking Spellbinders circle die. I stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set and cut that into a banner. I rounded the edges by using a smaller circle die and just cut the bottom portion of the banner. I layered pretty patterned papers from Simple Stories Summer Lovin' 6x8 paper pad onto some light blue cardstock from my stash. I adhered the sentiment banner and the focal panel directly to the card base and finished the card off with some faux black dashed lines. 

Happy Birthday-Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb

 

This month Deb and I decided our inspiration would be something I think every card maker or scrapbooker can relate to; left over scraps of paper! We all have some small (or large) stash of left over papers that are not quite sure what do with, right? I was watching YouTube this past weekend and saw a video by Cardz TV with Mary. I was inspired by her fun card technique using scrap patterned papers to create a fun quilt-like card. I save all of my 6x6 patterned paper pads in quart-sized plastic bags. I broke out my Bo Bunny Early Bird paper pad, selected 4 of the patterned papers and created this fun card using Mary's technique. The quilted effect was created using a beautiful embossing folder from Cuttlebug in the textile pattern. The sentiment is from Verve Stamps Poppy Birthday stamp set, the sentiment was created using Stampin' Up punches, and the blue cardstock is from Hobby Lobby. I popped the focal quilt pattern and the sentiment up off of the card using thin foam tape. I finished the card off with some beautiful sparkling onyx black gems from Simon Says Stamp.  I love this fun technique and can see myself creating entire sets of these to give as gifts. 

My coffee this month is a dark French roast with some vanilla bean creamer served in a mug from my regular tableware collection. Now, be sure to stop by Deb's blog and see how she was inspired this month!

Be Thankful-Send A Smile 4 Kids

 

This month at Send A Smile 4 Kids we are celebrating all things Halloween/Fall. Several years ago, I picked up a cute paper pack from Design, Inc that I picked up in the dollar bin at Target. Not only did it have fabulous fall themed papers but a super cute stencil with leaves, acorns, pumpkins, a turkey, and a pumpkin pie. I opted to use both today. I cut the patterned paper down to 4x5.25 inches and matted it onto some darker craft cardstock I had in my stash. I stenciled the pumpkin, acorn, and two leaves in fall-colored inks. I added white gel pen details to them all, and fussy cut the images out. I adhered them together and mounted foam tape on the back of the image. The image also came from the dollar bin at Target and was inked in warm cocoa ink from Gina K Designs. I cut the sentiment down into a strip, mounted it on more of the dark craft cardstock, and adhered it to the card. My finishing touch was adding a fishtail banner made from the same cardstock using a banner die from Unity Stamp Company. Now, be sure to head over to the Send A Smile 4 Kids blog and see how the other design team members were inspired this month. We would also love it if you played along!

Come Sail Away With Me-Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb

 

Hello, and happy August! This month Debra and I thought a travel themed card would be a fun challenge. This one was particularly fun for me because it involved absolutely no stamping or die cutting at all. I used paper from Simple Stories Vintage Seas 6x8 paper pad and ephemera from the same collection. I just pieced it all together on my white A2 card base. And I finished it off with some gorgeous aqua gems from Simon Says Stamp. Voila, instant card!

Nathan and I love to eat at a local Asian infusion restaurant in my hometown, and my favorite beverage there is the iced Thai tea with cream and lime. It's still hot here in Southeast Missouri, so this really hit the spot this weekend. Now, be sure to pop over to Deb's blog and see how she was inspired this month. I also plan to enter this card in the latest Color Throwdown card challenge. 

Happy Birthday Princess-Send A Smile 4 Kids

 This month at Send A Smile 4 Kids, we are celebrating all things birthday! I have a good friend who has 3 kiddos, and between her kiddos and my grandkids, I feel like I'm always making kid birthday cards. This one is for my buddy's youngest little girl. To make this card I layered red cardstock onto my white A2 card base. I then matted a piece of green patterned grid paper from the American Crafts Neapolitan 12x12 paper pad onto plain white cardstock. I then matted a piece of floral paper from the same paper pad onto more red cardstock. I layered them together. I then stamped the adorable little girl from My Favorite Things Pure Innocence Birthday Princess stamp set onto alcohol marker-friendly cardstock. I colored in the skin, hair, and cake. I stamped the crown and dress onto patterned paper from the paper pad, fussy cut them out, colored them with alcohol markers for depth and dimension, and paper pieced them onto the focal image. I fussy cut her out and mounted her with foam tape for dimension. I adhered her to the left of the card on a strip of red cardstock that I white heat embossed the sentiment from the same stamp set. I finished the card off with some red sequins and white gel pen detail. Now, be sure to head over the Send A Smile 4 Kids blog to see how the rest of the design team was inspired by this month's challenge. We would also love it if you played along! 

Relax And Enjoy Your Day-Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb

 

Hello! We are well into July now, and man is it hot! Debra and I decided to go with a summer theme this month for our coffee and cards collaboration. I wanted my card to look very similar to our inspiration photo. I started with some crumb cardstock and added sandy texture to it by stamping the dotted detail from the Stampendous Sunny Flowers stamp set onto the paper using Sahara Sand ink from Stampin' UP. Then I took a piece of textured white cardstock from my stash and inked it up with Tim Holtz Salvaged Patina distress ink. I then tore the edges and created 4 panels. I adhered them to my panel at an angle to look similar to the inspiration photo. I stamped the seashells, and flip flops from Honey Bee's Flippin' Fabulous stamp set, colored them with alcohol markers, die cut them, and adhered them to my beachy scene using liquid glue. I stamped the sentiment from the same set, die cut it, and popped it up using foam tape. I added stardust Stickles to the foam on the waves, the shells, and my flipflops. I added some clear rhinestones from Recollections to the flip flops for a finishing touch. 

For my coffee this month, I opted for a lovely iced, Vietnamese latte that I got when my boyfriend and I visited La Patisserie Choquette in St. Louis this week. It's my favorite French-style bakery, and their coffees are as amazing as their pastries! Now, be sure to head over to Deb's blog and see how she was inspired by our summer theme this month! I have also decided to enter this card in the AAA card challenge. 

Hi

 

Hello, happy Sunday! I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July weekend. I absolutely had to join the latest card challenge at Just Us Girls this week, because my lovely friend Lisa Elton of Paper Tales mailed me a card this week with this amazing die. It was like a sign from the Universe. LOL. The Hi die from The Stamp Market is huge and takes up a large portion of an A2 sized card, so I decided to keep it simple and let the sentiment be the star. And since it creates both a positive and negative when you die cut it, I created two cards with one swipe! Using patterned paper from Fancy Pants Meology Painterly 12x12 collection, I created both focal panels by die cutting them with a stitched rectangle die from Paper Rose. I die cut the Hi using plain white cardstock and more patterned paper from the same Fancy Pants collection. On the chartreuse card, I used the white outline and filled in the letters with the patterned paper. On the blue card, I did the opposite. I embellished both with more patterned paper from the same collection by using a flower puch from Stampin' UP and finished them off with large clear rhinestones from Recollections! Thank you, Lisa, for the lovely gift, and thank you to all who have popped by my blog today! Be sure to tell me which card you liked best.  

You Look Better Without Him

 

Today's card was created for the latest Paper Players card challenge. No one likes to think about a long-term relationship ending, but we all know it happens. I have a friend whose daughter just ended her marriage, and she asked me to create a card for her. I used Kelly Purkey's F Bomb stamp set and heat embossed it onto some pink cardstock using Ranger's white detail embossing powder. Using various punches from Stampin' UP and dies from Spellbinders, I created lots of circles, hearts, and flowers using beautiful, patterned paper from Echo Park's Hello Valentine 6x6 paper pad. I created a panel by die cutting a rectangle using a Paper Rose stitched rectangle die, embossed it using a Spellbinders plaid embossing folder, and adhered the whole panel down onto my white A2 card base using thin foam tape for a little added dimension. I adhered the circles I created onto the focal panel using Bearly Art liquid glue. I embellished the card using some Recollections clear rhinestones in various sizes. I love how this card turned out! Thank you for visiting my blog today. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend. 

Sweet Holiday Wishes-Send A Smile 4 Kids

 

This month at Send A Smile 4 Kids we are celebrating Christmas in July. I created this fun card using Sunny Studio's Christmas Cookies mini stamp set and some white heat embossing. I stamped the images onto some sand cardstock from Hobby Lobby using Versamark ink and Ranger's detail white embossing powder. I used my Copic markers to color the images in shades of brown and pink. I cut the panel down using a Pink & Main nesting rectangle die. I layered it onto a scalloped edge stitched panel by Gina Marie Designs that I cut down using plain white cardstock. I adhered both panels to my card base created out of more sand cardstock. I stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set onto a small strip I had colored with my pink Copic marker, cut it down into strips, and popped it up off of the card using foam tape. This card was so simple to create and really packs a punch! Be sure to stop by the Send A Smile 4 Kids blog and check out this month's challenge!

Happy Birthday

 

Today's card was created for the latest Freshly Made Sketches card challenge. I recently picked up the Penny Black Nature's Jewels stamp set from an online purging sale, and immediately had to use it when it came in. Using a 1.25-inch punch from Paper Shapers, I punched three squares. I stamped the floral images on the squares and colored them using my alcohol markers. I matted them onto black cardstock from Hobby Lobby. I die cut a smaller piece of white cardstock using a Paper Rose nesting stitched rectangle die. I embossed the panel using a Lifestyle Crafts geometric embossing folder. I matted that panel onto black cardstock and adhered it onto the card panel. Using a piece of blue patterned paper from my stash that is so old I no longer know who makes it, I created the side border. I popped the stamped squares up using foam tape and adhered them to the card. Using a sentiment stamp from Stampers Anonymous Crazy Talk, I created the sentiment strip and adhered that to the card according to the sketch. I finished the card off with some black gems from Simon Says Stamp. Thank you for visiting my blog today!

Enjoy Life's Simple Pleasures-Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb

 

This month Debra thought it would be fun if we used books as the inspiration for our coffee and cards collaboration. I used Angie Blom's Enjoy Life digital stamp. I colored her using Copic markers and die cut the image into a panel using a nesting stitched edge circle die from My Favorite Things. I layered some navy-blue cardstock from Hobby Lobby onto my A2 card base. Using patterned paper from Echo Park's 12x12 Coffee collection and a fun layout I found on Pinterest, I created my base layers. I printed the sentiment from the same digital stamp set and fussy cut it out. I mounted the focal panel onto the center of the card using thin foam tape. I adhered the sentiment below it. Using nesting banner dies from Unity and patterned paper from the Coffee collection, I created a few fishtail banners and adhered them on the top left of the card. I colored a few clear rhinestones from Recollections with a blue Copic marker and adhered them around the focal panel. I finished the card off by adding white gel pen details on the main image. 

It's been getting brutally hot and humid here in Southeast Missouri, so I opted for a nice, ice-cold S'mores blended latte from Scooters. It definitely helped cool things down and was delicious! Now, be sure to stop by Deb's blog and see how she was inspired. She creates the best cards, and her creations are always so fun!