Pumpkin Spice And Everything Nice-Coffee And Cards With Celeste And Deb

Hello and welcome to the September collaboration of Coffee and Cards with Celeste and Deb! Today is International Coffee Day in the United States and we are also in the midst of two fun coffee themed blog hops.  Deb picked out this fun image for us to use as our inspiration and I couldn't help myself... I made two cards this month instead of one! To create my first card I started with some gorgeous papers from a 6x6 paper pad that was in the dollar bin at my local Target store last year. I love the colors and thought they matched perfectly the gorgeous inspiration photo. I then stamped the sentiment from Unity Stamp Company's Bountiful Owl stamp set onto some white Copic-friendly cardstock and then the mug from Avocado Arts Sweet Kindness below it. I colored the images in to match my patterned paper and then die cut them out using a pierced edge circle die from My Favorite Things. I matted the circle panel onto some black cardstock using a large scalloped edge die from Spellbinders and popped it up off of the card using some foam squares from Scrapbook Adhesives. To finish off my first card I added a few black 6mm sequins from Pretty Pink Posh and some sparkle and shine to the images using my Spectrum Noir clear shimmer pen. 

My second card was created by layering some Stampin' UP crumb cake cardstock onto my white A2 card base and stamping the coffee cup from the Echo Park Coffee & Friends stamp set onto some white Copic-friendly cardstock and onto some of the same patterned papers that I used on the first card and fussy cutting and gluing the whole image together. I cut a few strips of the same patterned paper and layered it onto the card and stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set below the focal image. All I did to finish this quick and simple card off was add a few dashed black lines around the outer edge of the card. Love both of these autumn themed coffee cards! 

So, yesterday I ran my first ever trail run 5K and am proud to say that I came in 7th overall and won 1st place in my age group. So, to celebrate my buddy Lindel (who also ran and came in 5th) and I went to the local bakery. I opted for two pastries and a nice big cup of bourbon pecan coffee! Carbs and coffee after a race is the way to go! 

Now pop on over to Deb's blog and see how she was inspired by our fun fall theme!

Have A Sweet Holiday and winner announcement

Hello and thank you for popping on over to my blog today. I can't believe it's December already! Today's yummy card was created for both The Card Concept and The Sisterhood Of Crafters card challenges. To create my card I started by coloring the edges of piece of white Copic-friendly cardstock green and adhered it to my white A2 card base. I then die cut a pretty stitched and scalloped panel using a Gina Marie Designs die. I stamped the sentiment from the Avocado Arts Gingerbread Goodness stamp set onto the panel using Versafine onyx black ink. I then stamped the gumdrop and the peppermint from the same Avocado Arts stamp set and the holly cluster from the Simon Says Stamp Ugly Sweater stamp set onto white Copic-friendly cardstock. I created masks for the 3 images and then stamped the cupcakes from Hero Arts Cupcakes stamp set onto them. I colored each of the images using my alcohol markers and fussy cut them out. I popped them up using foam squares from Scrapbook Adhesives. To finish this adorable card off I added some clear shimmer and shine using my Spectrum Noir clear glitter pen on the cupcakes frosting, added some sequins from Pretty Pink Posh, and some crystal and red Stickles to the gumdrop, holly, and peppermint. 

I also wanted to announce the winner of the blog candy from last week's Coffee And Cards Collaboration With Celeste and Deb. Congratulations Sue D! I will be shooting you an email to get your mailing address. 

From Our Home To Yours

My card today was created for the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown Theme Challenge family and friends. I started with a plain white card base and layered on a few pieces of patterned paper from the American Crafts Hot Cocoa 6x6 paper pad. I just love these yummy papers and they just scream winter and holidays to me. I stamped the gingerbread couple from the Avocado Arts Gingerbread Goodness stamp set onto some plain kraft cardstock from The Paper Studio and fussy cut them out. I stamped the house from the same stamp set onto the patterned papers and fussy cut them out as well. I popped the roof and the gingerbread couple up off of the card using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. I stamped the sentiment from the stamp set and added some black dashed lines around the outer edges of the focal panel to give it some added detail. I added some candy red and frosted lace Stickles to the snow bank, the roof and chimney lines, to the gingerbread couple, and on either side of the sentiment for some sparkle and shine. I mean, what's a Christmas card without some sparkle and shine, right? I hope you like it!

I'm Nuts About You

Today's card was created for both The Card Concept challenge and in honor World Card Making Day. I started with a plain white card base and layered some Stampin' UP chocolate chip cardstock on top. I selected a few patterned papers from the American Crafts Autumn Crisp 6x6 paper pad (love this paper pack, by the way...gorgeous papers). I cut a fishtail banner out of one of the papers using a Jillian Vance die and then layered a Papertrey Ink die cut from the paper pack, framed out with some more chocolate chip cardstock on top of the banner. I added some dashed lines around the banner using a Memento dual tip marker in rich cocoa. I die cut a tree from a Paper Smooches die and layered it onto my frame die cut. I stamped the leaves from the MFT Harvest Mouse stamp set, the squirrel, acorns, and stump from the Darcie's Heart & Home Busy Beaver stamp set using Memento tuxedo black ink and colored them using Copic markers to match my papers. The sentiment comes from the Avocado Arts Nuts About You stamp set. I popped the squirrel, the stamp, the tree, and the leaves and acorns up using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. I finished the card off by adding some dashed lines around the framed die in Memento rich cocoa, white dashed lines around the outer edge of the card, and a few sequins from Pretty Pink Posh. Love how adorably this turned out. I hope you like it too!

Thinking Of You

I love both of these challenges from Just Us Girls and The Paper Players because I could incorporate my love of all things autumn into them both! I started with some Chocolate Chip cardstock from Stampin' UP and layered some plain white cardstock over it. I stamped the plain tree image from the Avocado Arts Perfectly Perfect Day in some Gina K charcoal brown ink so it would be nice and dark. I took one of the multi leaf stamps and using Memento Dew Drop inks in Dandelion, Tangelo, and Lady Bug I stamped the leaves multiple times to create a beautiful fall foliage tree. I inked a few of the leaves individually to create a slight blowing cascade of them caught in the wind. I repeated the same process onto a smaller piece of cardstock, cut it down, framed it out with the same brown cardstock, and popped it up off of the card using some Scrapbook Adhesive foam squares. I stamped the sentiment from the Avery Elle Petals & Blooms stamp set. It's a simple but pretty card and I love the way it turned out. I hope you do too!

CAS(E) card-Nuts About You

Today's card was created for CTS #133. I had so many ideas for the sketch but kept coming back to scattered leaves. I'm not sure why...I guess I just love fall. So, I reached for my Avocado Arts Nuts About You stamp set and stamped the leaves over and over onto some 110lb white cardstock using VersaMagic inks in Gingerbread, Mango, and Pumpkin Spice and some Colorbox chalk inks in orange, red, and green overlapping as I stamped to create a realistic pile of fall leaves. I fussy cut the leaf panel and mounted it onto another panel that I had dabbed with some VersaMagic seabreeze blue ink to create the sky. I then stamped the adorable squirrel image, the stump, and a few of the acorns onto more 110lb cardstock and colored them in using Copic markers in various shades of brown. I fussy cut them out and mounted them onto the focal panel using some Stampin' UP foam dimensionals. Love how they pop off of the page! I die cut the word nuts from some chocolate chip card stock from Stampin' UP using MFT's little lower case letter dies and mounted them onto the panel with foam dimensionals. I stamped part of the sentiment from the same Avocado Arts stamp set above and below the die cut letters. I framed the focal panel using more chocolate chip cardstock and added some dashed lines using a brown Memento dual brush marker. I mounted the whole thing onto my chocolate chip card base using some patterned papers from American Crafts Fall Crisp paper line. I just think it turned out too super cute!

Happy Thoughts Coming Your Way

Today's card was designed for the Paper Players Theme Challenge: The Great Outdoors. I started by stamping the Hero Arts Leaf and Floral background onto some 110 lb cardstock from Staples using Tim Holtz Faded Jeans distress ink and then re-inked the stamp using Tim Holtz Broken China and shifted the cardstock over by an 1/8th of an inch to create a sort of blurred two-tone effect. I stamped the chevron from A Creative Journey's I Just Love You stamp set continuously on a 1/2" strip of cardstock and anchored it in the center of the card for a bit of visual interest. Then I stamped the Cherry Blossom Bird image from Stampabilities onto some 110 lb cardstock and colored it in using my Copic markers. The sentiment is from the Avocado Arts Perfectly Perfect Day stamp set and I punched it out using The Modern Label Punch from Stampin' UP. I took a scrap piece of cardstock and inked it all over using the Tim Holtz Faded Jeans again and then punched the Modern Label again as well as two pieces of edging from a Fiskars postage stamp punch and affixed it the trimmed down focal panel. Love the way it turned out!