Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop

I love a good cup of coffee, Dunkin' Donuts being my favorite.  On the east coast there is a D&D on every corner, here in Colorado, they aren't as plentiful.  The good news is the just opened one fairly close to me. I am just waiting for the hub bud to die down before I make my way over to get a large dark roast!  I was inspired to make this card after learning about the Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop (there are TONS of awesome prizes!), funny how just reading about a challenge or blog hop can start those creative wheels turning!

 

What I Used to Make this Card:
Kraft Paper Card Base
Cream Color Cardstock
Light Brown Cardstock
Ranger Ink in Jet Black
Embossing Ink
Coffee Bean Stamp and Sentiment stamp from SU! Set Express Yourself (discontinued)
Coffee Cup Stamp - manufacturer unknown
Tim Holtz Sizzix Alterations Dies in Labels, 66060
Tim Holtz Distress Marker in Festive Berries
Moonglow Embossing Powder Twilight Bronze Slate
Pop Dots

I started with Kraft paper, which I used as the card base.  I took the coffee bean stamp and stamped it all over the cardstock using embossing ink, and then heat embossed with the Twilight Bronze Slate embossing powder (if you have never seen the beautiful two toned embossing powder at Lindy's Stamp Gang, do yourself a favor and check them out).

Then I inked up the image and the sentiment with the Jet Black ink, stamping the coffee cup image (which I have had for years and never used before. For some reason this stamp made it through all the paring down, thinning the stock and cleaning. Now I see why!) on the light brown cardstock and the sentiment on the cream colored cardstock.  I used the Tim Holtz dies and die cut the coffee cup and the sentiment, then pop dotted them onto the card. I didn't want them to pop out too much, so I used low pop dots.  As I was looking at the composition of the card I noticed there was another hidden heart in this stamp! I am finding them all over!  So I outlined the heart with the Festive Berries marker, so if you look close, you can see it.  I get so excited when I find hidden images and other ways to use my stash (now I have another heart stamp!).

Another look - this one shows the embossing better

Thank you so much for stopping by! If you aren't already following me, please consider it.  I am trying to get 100 new subscribers.  Have an artful day! Christi

I would like to enter my Coffee Card in the following challenges:
Creating in Faith, Hope & Love - TTC002 - Use a stamp retired or at least a year old
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge Blog - #69, Anything Goes with a Twist of Embossing
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge - #5, Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays - #248, Anything Goes
Creative Inspirations Challenge - #303, Something Old
Fairytale Challenge - #12, Kraft Paper

A Wee bit of Shamrocks

I miss getting "good" mail. When I first started stamping, and postage was actually reasonable, I participated in swaps, Round Robins, and a few of the groups I belonged to sent out birthday cards.  Then postage became unbelievable and that stuff stopped.  Well, I want to get at least one thing a month that isn't junk mail or a bill, so I signed up for the Card Chain Challenge at Society of Stampaholics.  It's really easy - there is a sign up by date, then a mail to by date, and some criteria that your card should match.  For February one of the criteria for the card was shamrocks, so off I went!

What I Used to Make this Card:
Square Card Base in White
Spellbinders Nestabilities Majestic Squares #6, S4-422
Spellbinders Imperial Gold, Gold Labels 34, 34-424
Sequin Clovers
Small Shamrock Stamp - Good Stamps, Stamp Goods
Versamark Ink
A Wee Happy St. Paddy's to You Stamp - manufacturer unknown
Irish Blessing stamp - PSX, K-2483
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Ranger Adirondack Ink in Meadow
Stipple Brush
Wink of Stella - clear
White Cardstock
Green Cardstock

I had first wanted to put the Irish Blessing on the front of the card, but I didn't like the way it cut out with the Spellbinders - but I
saved it. It wasn't bad, just not what I was looking for.  So, instead, I stamped the "a wee happy" stamp on white cardstock and cut it out with the Spellbinders and added the sequin shamrocks.  I then cut out the green layer and stamped the small shamrock stamp all over with Versamark ink (remember Versamark?!?), attached the sentiment onto the green layer and that to the front of the card.

The Irish Blessing

But I still had this awesome Irish Blessing, all cut out and ready to roll.  So I decided to stipple around the edges and use that for the inside of my card; something I rarely do, the insides of my cards, unless the card I am creating is for an occasion,
like this one. I'd say a good 90% of the cards I create are blank inside so I can add my own special touch. When I was finished I felt the front still needed a little somethin' somethin', so I used my Wink of Stella pen (which I have had for quite a while, yet never used), in clear, and squiggled around the design - if you look carefully, you can see it in the picture, on the right side.  I sent my card off to Jutta, crossing my fingers and toes that she likes the card.

I was the lucky recipient of a card from Emily.  She chose to go with the colors suggested in the challenge, and the friendship theme.  Her card is stunning (please click on the picture to make it bigger); I know you will agree - the picture does not do it justice! Her colors are so fresh and springy - the doily, the butterfly and the cute little gems! Honestly, if I could of called back my card to redo it I would have - but there is always next month :)

I hope you will consider signing up for this amazing swap - there are participants from all over the world! And, like I said, you can count on getting at least one piece of mail that will make you smile! I have already signed up for March, so I am off to get started! 

Last look at my card - I'm not sure why the sequins don't look like sequins - you'll have to trust me!

I hope to see you at the Card Chain Challenge (which also happens to be run by the marvelous Deborah).  Thanks for popping by and please visit the blogs I have linked to - you never know where you will find inspiration (or end up signing up for a card!) ~ Fondly, Christi

I would like to enter my Shamrock Card in the following challenges:
Tip Top Tuesday - Rubber Stamps Only 
Cuttin' and Stampin' - Anything Goes
One Crazy Stamper - March Challenge, Anything Goes
We Do Doobadoo - #4, Spring/Green
Stempelsonne - #135, Anything Goes
Jo's Scrap Shack - #77, Anything Goes (ends 3/20)
Addicted to Stamps and More - #133, Holidays 
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Just a Hint of Clover. . .