A good day has both COFFEE and YOU!

I just recently started drinking coffee again. I stopped years ago due to some stomach issues and found that English Breakfast tea was delicious and didn't give me ulcers. Granted it wasn't only the coffee that gave my ulcers, but I successfully got rid of everything that was causing them <wink>.  That was years ago and since my honey drinks coffee I began drinking it again.  I try to limit myself to one cup a day (unless I'm going out with my sister - then an ice cold, sweet, coffee drink is a must) and I still crave Dunkin' Donuts over Starbucks (Dunkin' Donuts are far and few between out here in Colorado.)  I felt that this adorable card could be given to anyone with whom that you enjoy a cup of coffee.

What I Used to Make my Card:
Kraft Card Base
StampCouture Small Cup with Foam Heart (Brand New)
Sentiment from STAMPlorations Literary Caffeine-Ations (Big Grins by Becca Cruger) (First Time Using the Set)
Brown Card (2 shades from stash)
Distress Marker in Festive Berries
Versamark Ink
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Pop Dots

My Custom Stamp

I recently needed to get a new "Stamped by Christi" stamp for the back of my cards.  My old one had finally seen enough ink and I put it to rest.  I love to support small businesses, and I found StampCouture on Etsy, to make it even more special they are practically local to me! Honestly, I had contacted - via Etsy contact - every manufacturer of custom stamps in the USA that were listed and they were the ONLY ones who got back to me!  But I am SO glad they did because I had many conversations with them about how I wanted the stamp to look and they were fabulous to work with.  While I was waiting for my custom stamp I browsed their shop and just had to pick up a few more stamps - this adorable coffee cup with the foam heart being one of them. The others are patiently waiting their chance to be used.  I highly recommend StampCouture if you ever need any custom stamps or if you are in need of some adorable little whimsical stamps. They kept in contact with me, even through the busy holiday season, where extremely helpful and the prices were very reasonable (and I get no commission from any manufacturer or company just because I link to or write about them!)

OK, now back to the card.  I used one of the coordinating brown papers from my stash and stamped the small coffee cup with Versamark ink sort of in a

Another Look at the Card

pattern, but I wasn't too careful about the placement of the cups.  Once that was finished, I trimmed the panel to fit the card (since I always use A2, 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" cards, I typically trim a panel to 5 1/4" x 4". If the card size or panel sizes are different, I will mention it in my post. Taking the Festive Berries Distress Marker, I chose one of the cups and colored in just the heart portion.

I then stamped the sentiment and the coffee cup onto a darker brown cardstock using the Jet Black ink. I used some thin Pop Dots to adhere the panel to the card.  Making this card brought back so many memories of when I first began stamping - the awe of watching embossing powder melt for the first time, finding amazing products like chalk, Versamark ink and the pure wonder of the entire art form.  It has inspired me to play with some of the products that were around when I first began stamping.  So, I'll be breaking out cool stuff like Shrink Plastic, Veggie Leather as well as some other "oldies but goodies" in the near future.  Is there any old product or technique that you loved to play with when you started stamping?  Please leave me a comment! Thank you SO much for sticking with me, and this post.  I'd love for you to become a follower. If you let me know in your comment that you have begun following me, I'll be sure to do the same for you.  Fondly, Christi

I am entering my "Coffee & You" card in the following challenges:
The Artistic Stamper - (M) February's Challenge - Love Hearts
STAMPlorations CAS Challenge - (M) Anything Goes w/ option of Hot Pink
STAMPlorations Theme & Sketch - (M) Stamp Retro (theme)
Simon Says Stamp, Monday Challenge - Young at Heart (too much coffee makes my heart race like when I was young and literally used to race <grin>)
Use Your Stuff - Love is in the Air (Use Hearts)
Addicted to Stamps - #141, Love
Simon Says Stamp, Wednesday Challenge - The Color of Love
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday - (M) Use Something New
DL Art Thankful Thursday, #197 - Anything Goes option of Thank You
DL Art Monthly Linky Party - (M), February, Anything Goes

You Are Loved

Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by to check out my latest creation for House of Cards!  This month's inspiration picture is:

with the optional theme of "Love." 

It's a perfect challenge to get your Valentine projects started!  In January, I was lucky enough to get the My Monthly Hero Kit from Hero Arts.  I totally fell in love with all the flowers and sentiments and I've been creating with the kit since I got it.  Here is one of my creations:

What I Used to Make my Card:

White Card Base

Hero Arts Kit of the Month, My Monthly Hero January 2017 (sold out)

Hero Arts Ink in Soft Pink, Bubble Gum, Strawberry, Mint Julep & Tide Pool

Distress Ink in Cracked Pistachio, Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry & Candied Apple

Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

Distress Marker in Spun Sugar

MISTI

Patterned Paper from my Stash

Corner Punch

Clear Wink of Stella 

I went crazy making those adorable flowers and leaves.  Reminds me of the Two Step Stampin' from Stampin' Up! way back when I was a demonstrator for that company.  It is MUCH easier now, using clear stamps and the MISTI.  I was making three and four flowers at a time.  I really enjoyed messing around with all the color combinations. You will be seeing these flowers many more times - I have a bunch of them all ready to go!  Deciding what container to put them in was the hardest part of this card.  I dug through my stash and found a scrap of really old paper from Somerset Studio magazine. It's difficult to see the subtle pattern, but it's got some pinks and whites in it. I stamped the flower wrap in Bubble Gum ink and then die cut it.  I colored the bow using a Distress Marker in Spun Sugar.  

Then, I set about using some of my flowers and leaves.  I would position everything and then go look for a pink paper to match the roses so when I came back to the bouquet again I would either love it or start over.  For me,  when I'm

Just Another Look

undecided about something, I like to leave it and go back to it later.  I found a nice pink paper in my stash, trimmed it down and used an old corner punch to notch the corners.  

I went back to my MISTI and stamped the sentiment in Strawberry at the bottom of the pink paper so my bouquet would be above it.  I glued the wrap for the flowers down first, then all the flowers and leaves got attached.  I swiped the Wink of Stella pen over the flowers and around the sentiment (in fact, if you look close you can see the Wink of Stella around "You are Loved").  I had so much fun playing with this kit that I subscribed to the My Monthly Hero Kit.  Now I'll get one every month.  

I hope you will join us at House of Cards, you have ALL month to join and play, and be sure to check back each Tuesday for some more inspiration from the Design Team.  Thanks so much!  Christi

A special shout out to my good friend Nana Connie - she's a gem! Pop over and check out her blog (just click on her name).

I am entering my You Are Loved card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - The Color of Love
Frilly & Funkie - Be My Valentine
Die Cuttin' Divas - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday - (M) Make Something With a New Product
Darnell's NBUS #10 - Anything Goes or Theme (The Hero Arts Kit is my NBUS item - this is the first project I used it for)

Masculine Happy Birthday

My brother's birthday is coming up and I got some new Spellbinder dies.  Those two statements caused the following card to happen (sounds like a public service announcement).

How I Made My Card:
Black, Square (5 1/4 x 5 1/4) Card Base
Spellbinders Fleur de Lis Squares, #S4-318
Newton's Nook Stamp Set, Simply Sentimental
Patterned Paper, KaiserCraft, 6 1/2 pad, Time Machine, #PP978 (disc on site)
Kraft Paper
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

I was searching through some of my smaller paper pads after Bud tried to step on them and caused almost all of them to fall on the floor, searching for something to make my brother a birthday card.  My brother is a grumpy, manly man so it needed to be a man's card.  No fluffy stuff for him (although he does plant and nurture flowering plants in the summer, to the point that he will move them around on the balcony so they get the best sun. I digress. . .).  When I saw the 2 papers in the Time Machine pad a light bulb went off in my head. I wanted to piece the papers together so that they'd match, but be different and I had just gotten some new Spellbinder dies (on sale, cause I hate paying full price!)and I thought I'd use one of the new dies to cut the papers and then I

could match them up.  And, the pattern on the brown/black paper is raised and shiny - so cool! Unfortunately, the small pad is discontinued on the KaiserCraft site, but, you can find them all over on the internet (and the larger pad is still available on the KaiserCraft site).

I will spare you the agonizing details of how I discovered the easy way to do this and cut to the chase; If you ever want to match papers up like this, cut the small one out FIRST, match it up with the other paper, THEN cut out the bigger piece.  Let's just say I have only teeny bits of the patterned paper left that I used.  So, if you were using these papers, you'd cut the black layer out, match it up with the brown/black design, then position your die and cut it out.  OK once you have gotten your two layers matched up, cut and glued, then stamp your sentiment on a matching piece of paper and use the smallest die to cut that out.  It took me entirely too long to make this simple card but I think it was worth it!

You can see a bit of the shiny black raised pattern on this picture

Thank you so much for reading my post - I'd love it if you'd consider becoming a follower of mine (if you do, please leave me a comment and your blog address so I can return the favor).  I hope you are all enjoying this new year so far ~ fondly, Christi

I am entering my Masculine Happy Birthday Card in the following challenges:
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge - Anything Goes #3
Oh La La Challenge - #220, For a Man or a Boy
Incy Wincy - For the Men in Your Life
Work it Wednesday (Simon Says Stamp) - Use Something New (Spellbinders Die)
Through the Purple Haze - #116, Happy Anything

Snowflakes

Hi all! It's been quite snowy here in Colorado and we are expecting more tomorrow (my knee and sinuses agree with that weather forecast) so I felt that I needed to get a bit snowy myself.  My favorite way to get snowy is inside my craft room - it's warm, dry and fun! And getting new goodies is ALWAYS a good thing, so when I got the Tim Holtz/Sizzix Paper Snowflakes Mini set I had visions of what I wanted to do.  If you have read this blog then you know blue, white & silver are some of my favorite colors and they definitely lend themselves to a frosty project.

How I Made my Card:
Square (5 1/4 x 5 1/4) Card Base in White
Various shades of Blue Cardstock
Silver Cardstock
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Paper Snowflakes Mini, #661599
Quietfire Designs "Warm Winter Wishes" Stamp, #6399
Lindy's Gang Lapis Lazuli Blue Gold Embossing Powder
Embossing Fluid
Stickles in Fairy Dust, Arctic Ice and True Blue
Nuvo Crystal Drops in Midnight Blue & White

The first thing I did was cut out a bunch of different snowflakes using the Paper

Snowflakes Mini dies.  I cut out a TON of them, using the medium and small dies the most, and using different shades of blue and also silver cardstock.  I actually had the snowflakes cut for a while before I had even thought of this card.  I knew I was going to use them on something so I began layering them, decorating them with the Nuvo Drops and the Stickles and just generally blinging them up.  I fussed and spruced up those snowflakes within an inch of their lives.  But, finally, I had to decide what to do with them.  I decided on a square card since I wanted to showcase as many of the snowflakes that I could, especially 'cause they are just SO pretty.  So I fixed them around the white card base until I found an arrangement I liked - and of course I forgot to take a picture and I left the card on my desk overnight.  Guess what happened? My adorable little tribe of furbabies decided it was just too pretty to ignore.  So, I fiddled with the snowflake placement again, using the flakes I could find.  

As I was trying different placements, I realized I need a sentiment.  I adore this stamp and I use it a lot, it is definitely one of my all time favorites and at least 6 years old, so I broke out my "Warm Winter Wishes" and thought that I should emboss it on a separate scrap of cardstock since I hadn't decided snowflake placement yet.  I embossed the sentiment with the Lapis Lazuli Blue Gold (and you really can't see the beauty of this powder - go to Lindy's site and marvel in how they mixed that blue & gold so perfectly) and trimmed it down.  I set it aside until I got the pattern I wanted using the snowflakes, then I tucked it under the flakes and glued it down. 

Another Look

Now that I had the sentiment down, it was time to get those flakes attached to the card.  For a bit of drama (those dramatic snowflakes!) I decided to pop dot some of the flakes and leave others flat.  I had to cut the pop dots into fours to get the pieces small enough for the itty bitty snowflake "arms".  But it worked. So, there you have it.  I hope you have enjoyed my little tutorial and perhaps got a bit inspired to glam up your snowflakes! Fondly, Christi

PS: Since I am entering a few challenges that are specifying that something new must be used I wanted to say that my something new is the Paper Snowflakes Mini Sizzix set, just in case.

I am entering my Snowflakes card in the following challenges:
Frilly & Funky - Winter Hues
Simon Says Stamp Work it Wednesday - Something New
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Chill Out
Make my Monday - #37, A Winters Walk
Die Cuttin' Divas - #300, Blue and Silver 

Retro Rubber - #54, Let it Snow
The Craft Barn - The Song Challenge, Let it Snow
NBUS #8 - Must Use Never Before Used Schtuff :)

In my thoughts. . .

Hello everyone - I hope you had a fabulous holiday and New Year.  In case you missed my last post I am on a new Design Team! This is my first card for House of Cards, a monthly challenge, which typically involves your choice of a color scheme as well as a theme - you can choose which one you'd like to play with.  This months challenge is:

You can use either the Colors or use a Building, or both, in your creation. 

For this challenge I chose to work with the colors.  I have been cleaning out my craft room and I literally just gave away a perfect stamp set that I could have used for this, but, such is life.  Here is my card:

What I Used to Make my Card:
Kraft Card Base
Maroon Cardstock
Scrap Silver Cardstock
Unity Stamp Co. "Bunches of Love", UK-669A (739) - sentiment
Unity Stamp Co. "Blossoming thoughts & wishes", UK-754A (930)- flourish
Embossing Fluid
Stampin' Up Sterling Silver Embossing Powder (disc, but they still have silver)

I recently was able to buy a few sentiment sets from Unity Stamp Company so I broke those open to use on this card as well as trying my MISTI (that I am embarrassed to say I have had for months!) after studying many You Tube Videos (how did we ever learn anything before You Tube?!?) anyway. . . 

I started this card by lining up the sentiment and the flourish with each other, inking them up with the embossing fluid, stamping, then taking the flourish and repeating the steps.  I finished off with the silver embossing powder.

Another look

After trimming the maroon panel, I attached it to the silver panel.  Now, that might seem like an easy step.  Should be an easy step.  Was it easy? Not the first time.  I didn't realize the maroon card was thinner stock than I'm used to using. And I typically use a wet glue when making my cards because I get a bit of grace time to wiggle stuff around before it dries.  Well, I put my glue on the back of the maroon card and slipped it under the tile I have on my desk so it would dry nice and straight.  I checked on the card a while later and was horrified to discover that the maroon panel had a HUGE blob of glue right under the sentiment and nothing I did helped.  I ripped the card apart, hoping I could somehow spread the glue.  Nope.  Dried it with my heat gun to try to lessen the buckle the blob of glue had created.  Nope.  Only one thing to do - start over.  I took a long break (as I am prone to do as opposed to wrecking my craft room like a crazy person) and made another maroon panel.  This time I used a dry adhesive and it worked. I'd rather not learn these little lessons but it could have been worse.  I didn't save the panel, or the other two I made with another embossing powder or the one I made with a different sentiment.  I did fussy cut the pretty flourish out before I trashed the other tries - who knows, they may show up on a different project.  

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read through my trials.  I do hope to see you entering in the challenge at House of Cards.  Honestly, there is a whole month and you could win a cute badge to display as well as some well earned bragging rights.  As for me, I am off to shop for some glue dots, double stick tape or something like it.  Fondly, Christi

PS: Since I am entering so many challenges were the subject is NEW I thought I would make it simple and tell you what I used that is new.  The stamps are new, both sets that I used were just bought and while I have had the MISTI for a while, it's new to me as this is the first time I've used it :) 

I would like to enter my In My Thoughts Card in the following challenges:
Just For Fun Rubber Stamps (January) - Anything Goes 

Just Us Girls - Word Week - Word is NEW 

Sweet Stampin' - Something New 
Simon Says Stamp, Wednesday Challenge - New
Little Red Wagon - #375, Something New
The Artistic Stamper (January) - Anything Goes
Craft Stamper Magazine - (January) - Anything Goes

The Purrfect Friend

As I watch the snow fall here in Colorado, I'm thinking of how much fun snow days were. I was lucky to grow up in a neighborhood with tons of kids. And even luckier that my best friend lived right next door to me - our parents even connected our backyards for us.  I don't even remember a life before her! She is an amazing person, and loves cats as much as I do.  Unfortunately,  she has recently gotten a fairly serious health diagnosis - not life threatening, thank goodness, but painful none the less.  I have been sending her the plastic boxes from my old Stampin' Up! sets because she loves them and uses them to store her own bunch of little trinket obsessions. Since I now live halfway across the country from her we don't talk that often, but we message each other daily - actually we message each other a ton of times daily.  I am very grateful to still have her in my life as I have watched time steal away too many good friendships. I made this card to put into the next shipment of goodies:

What I Used to Make my Card:

Stampendous Set, Cat Sayings #SSC1222
Newton's Nook Newton's Antics Stamps
Newton's Nook Newton's Antics Dies
Ranger Archival Ink Pad in Jet Black
Spellbinders Labels Seventeen
Authentique Remembrance 6x6 pad, REM006 (retired but available)
Scraps of Green Paper (from the Remembrance pad above)
Corner Rounder Punch
Pop Dots

I can't recall what I used to color the cats with as I found this duo in my already colored pile, but, I would guess I used my Zig Clean Color markers judging by how they look.  I put the kitties on a scrap of green to anchor them - without the paper, they floated around and looked like they need to be grounded.  After I grounded the cats, I stamped the sentiment on another scrap of green in the same color that the cats sat on.  That is one of the many reasons I love working with coordinated paper - you can always find the exact color you need! I die cut the sentiment with Spellbinders and set it aside.

The Dimension

I trimmed a piece of the purple background paper and then rounded the corners with a corner rounder.  I glued the paper onto the card base, then pop dotted the cats and the sentiment.  That's when I realized I had put the whole thing together upside down - yup, that is what happens at 11:30 at night.  So, I cut the card apart and mounted the panel, with pop dots, onto another card base, this time right side up.  If I had a nickle for every project I've messed up on I could buy the entire Ranger company.  But, I try to look at those mistakes as opportunities to try to figure out how to solve them.  And this mistake was easy to fix and one I have done a million times. 

I really enjoyed making this card and I hope it brings a smile to her face.  I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial and I appreciate your stopping by.  Fondly, Christi

I am humbly entering my Purrfect Friend Card in the following challenges:
ModSquad - Anything but Christmas
ScrappyLand - #57, Anything Goes
Word Art Wednesday - #264/265, Anything Goes
Lost Coast Portal (Jan) - #32, Anything Goes
Craftyhazelnut's Patterned Paper Challenge (Jan) - Anything Goes w Patterned Paper

A New Year and a New Design Team!

I am thrilled to announce that I have been selected to be a part of the House of Cards Design Team! The term is 6 months, and it is a monthly challenge blog - you can get there from HERE and make sure you bookmark or follow so you can play every month (come on, I KNOW you can make a card once a month to fit our themes)! Speaking of themes, here is the theme for the month of January:

Add a Building and/or Use these Colors

So, along with the New Year I am embarking on a New Team - I am SO excited and I hope you are too!  My teamies are so sweet and have welcomed us newbies with open arms :) My first project will be posted next week so please stay tuned ~ I hope your New Year is filled with fun, health, love & happiness ~ Christi