Water Droplets Butterfly

What do you do when you are waiting for the storms to roll in?  Me, I spent the morning at my craft desk making a thank you card using the sketch from the CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge.  Now it's time to fix a late bite of lunch since I forgot to stop and eat earlier. 

Stamp Set:  Background Bits - sentiment (Stampin' Up!), Water Droplets (Designs by Ryn); Inks:  Always Artichoke, Basic Black Archival (both Stampin' Up!); Distress Inks:  Peeled Paint, Fossilized Amber, Spiced Marmalade (Tim Holtz by Ranger); Cardstock:  Pistachio Pudding (Stampin' Up!), Watercolor Paper (Strathmore); Other:  Simply Stamped - Butterflies Dies (Taylored Expressions)

The sketch I used is from the CAS(E) this Sketch Challenge. The simplicity of the sketch was a wonderful way to showcase my pretty orange butterfly.. I had the water-colored rectangle laying on my desk left over from a previous project and it was perfect for this sketch design. 

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #125 - Kath's Christmas Challenge

It's Christmas time again at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  I love that Kath chose non-traditional colors as her challenge for us.  I think it makes a nice change from all the red, green, gold and silver.  Yes, I love all those but it's fun to think outside the box every now and again.

Stamp Set:  Holiday Florals (Taylored Expressions); Inks:  Dapper Denim, Emerald Envy, Flirty Flamingo, Sweet Sugarplum (all Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Dapper Denim, Whisper White; Other:  Golden Sunset Glitter Drops (Nuvo), White Blizzard Glitter Drops (Nuvo)

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, July 34rd at 6:00 p.m. Central Time to link your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Brighter Days

It's Saturday and do I ever have a full day planned.  Truthfully, I think I have more on my list than what can be done in one day.  We'll see how much of it gets done and how much goes on my list for Monday.  Sundays are my days off and that is my brighter day to come.

Today's card follows along with the sketch at the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.  I cut the patterned paper following the sketch design but the left side is attached directly to the card base while the right side is popped up with foam tape.  I stamped the water droplets right on the paper to give the appearance of dew on the leaves.  It's a very quick and easy design.

Stamp Sets:  Beautiful You - sentiment (Stampin' Up!), Water Droplets (Designs by Ryn); Inks:  Night of Navy, Soft Sky (both Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Pool Party - card base (Stampin' Up!); Patterned Paper:  Serene Scenery Designer Series Paper Stack (Stampin' Up!)

The sketch I used is from the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge.  I opted to use just one sheet of patterned paper for my design.  I really like the way it looks with the water droplets.

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Hot Pink Butterfly

Talk about a fun card to make!  We have sunshine and blue skies so what could be more perfect than to create a bright, beautiful butterfly card.  I've finally dug out my stencils and modeling paste and have been adding more dimensional to my designs.  While this stencil is called Mini Bubbles, I thought it made a lovely flower for this butterfly to hover over.  The purple, mint green, hot pink and teal colors from the Color Throwdown Challenge all blended together well and made for a very nice background for the stenciled imaged.

One thing I have found using the Clarity Stencil Brushes, is that the colors are always much lighter and a bit softer then they really are.  The colors I used for the background are Perfect Plum for the purple, Mint Macaron for the mint, Melon Mambo for the hot pink and Bermuda Bay for the teal.  The butterfly was stamped using Strawberry Shortcake from Taylored Expressions.  When I tried it with the Melon Mambo, it came out way too dark.  Believe when I say, this butterfly is much prettier than the other one.

Stamp Sets:  Wetlands-sentiment (Stampin' Up!), Simply Stamped Butterflies (Taylored Expressions); Inks:  Basic Black, Bermuda Bay, Melon Mambo, Mint Macaron, Perfect Plum (all Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:Whisper White, Mint Macaron (both Stampin' Up!); Other:  Mini Buble Stencil (Balzer Designs at Crafter's Workshop), Simply Stamped Butterflies Dies (Taylored Expressions), Light Modeling Paste (Liquitex)

The colors I used are from the Color Throwdown Challenge.  They are fantastic colors and I had fun creating the background using my Clarity Stencil Brushes and adding some Modeling Paste.

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Thinking of You Roses

It's going to be a very short post here tonight.  It's fast approaching my bedtime but I just had to make a card before the day was done.  The Wild Rose is Iowa's state flower and the Wild Roses stamp set from Flourishes is one of my favorites.  While the wild roses here are usually pink, to follow along with the color challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches, these are Peekaboo Peach.  Really, they are. And, Oops!, I snuck in just a wee bit of Mint Macaron for the leaves as the Dapper Denim just would have been wrong.  

Stamp Sets:  Wetlands - sentiment (Stampin' Up!), Wild Roses (Flourishes); Inks:  Dapper Denim, Mint Macaron, Peekaboo Peach (all Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Dapper Denim, Whisper White (both Stampin' Up!); Other:  Copper Embossing Powder

The colors I used are from the CAS Colours & Sketches Challenge. They were great colors to use and worked well together.  I colored the roses with a Peekaboo Peach Stampin' Write Marker but the color was much darker than what I get when I stamp using the ink pad.  And, I heat embossed the roses using Copper Embossing Powder but that never photographs well for me.  The card in real like has a pretty shimmer to it from the copper.  

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #124 - Fiona's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

This week happens to be our Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  It's hosted by another one of our new Watercooler Artists, Fiona Whitehead.

There always seems to be a need for masculine birthday cards.  I have three sons and seven grandsons as well as all the other male family and friends I have in my life.  I must confess that I make way more feminine cards than masculine so I love that we have a masculine challenge as part of our lineup at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.    

Stamp Set:  Wetlands (Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Soft Suede (Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Always Artichoke (Stampin' Up!), Very Vanilla (Stampin' Up!); Patterned Paper:  Capella Paper Pad (Basic Grey); Other:  Twill Tape

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, June 26th at 6:00 p.m. Central Time to link your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Birds in Flight

It isn't often that I can combine three challenges all on one card.  I really like this clean and simple design and, after the day I've had, it was nice to have something go just the way I planned it.  In an already full day, others decided I needed to add more to my agenda.  Suffice it to say that I got it all done, survived the heat of the day and I'm taking the rest of the evening off.  I'm just here long enough to share my card with you.

Stamp Sets:  Background Bits - sentiment, Delicate Details, High Tide - birds, In the Meadow (all Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Night of Navy; Distress Oxide Inks:  Faded Jeans, Fossilized Amber, Peeled Paint (Ranger - Tim Holtz); Cardstock:  Watercolor Paper (Strathmore), Whisper White Thick (Stampin' Up!)

The theme of birds is from The Paper Players Challenge. The line of birds flying through the air gave just the right finishing touch to my design.

For the summer theme at the CAS Watercolour Challenge, I tried to give the illusion of the trees swaying in the breeze.  So, no, it's not suppose to look blurry, just windy.

The sketch I used is from the Retro Rubber Challenge.  I loved the simplicity of the sketch.  The stamp I used that is older than one year is In the Meadow which was featured in the 2016 Occasions Catalog.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Water Droplets Birthday

You know, I really should be in bed sleeping, getting that all important rest but for some reason I'm wide eyed and so not sleepy.  But, the new stamps I ordered arrived and I just couldn't resist playing with them.  Here is the very first card I made with the Water Droplets stamp from Designs By Ryn.

I'm also playing along with a new challenge to me.  It's The Sisterhood of Crafters.  Looks like it's going to be a fun one.

Well, I'm going to get off this computer for the night and go read a book.  It will either put me to sleep or have me hooked and I just keep reading to the end.  

Stamp Sets:  Water Droplets (Designs By Ryn), Birthday Bundle (Stampin' Up!); Ink:  Midnight Muse (Stampin' Up!), Distress Oxide Inks:  Faded Jeans, Fossilized Amber, Peeled Paint (Tim Holtz-Ranger), Cardstock:  Not Quite Navy (Stampin' Up!), Watercolor Paper (Strathmore)

I've entered my card in The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge.  It's a Use Your Imagination (Anything Goes... but try to think outside the box) type of challenge.  For all the challenge details and to share your project, just click on the challenge name.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Vase of Blue Flowers

The sun may be shining at the moment but apparently we are supposed to have another round of thunderstorms this afternoon.  I just hope it holds off until I get home from the Taylored Expressions Studio Anniversary Party.  It's been two years now that she opened the studio and I take a class whenever I get the chance to do so.  Tonight's treasure is the cupcake stamp and die combo that I'll come home with for attending the event.  It should be a lot of fun!

The inspiration for my design came from the Just Add Ink Challenge.  The inspiration photo was so pretty and I loved the copper vase.  To give my vase (Pitcher Vase Dies by Taylored Expressions) a coppery look, I covered the die-cut with VersaMark then used Copper Embossing Powder.  The center of the vase was done using Faded Jeans Oxide Ink on the cut out center of the vase to give it the look of water.  I layered the vase, flowers (Bloomers 4 Dies by Taylored Expressions) and greenery (Leafy Branches by Taylored Expressions) on a die cut made using the Sunburst Thinlits Die from Stampin' Up!  The sentiment is from the retired Botanical Bookplates stamp set by Flourishes and stamped using Dapper Denim ink by Stampin' Up!  For the finishing touch, I added the little die cut center and put a drop of White Blizzard Glitter Drops by Nuvo in the center of each flower.

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Bright Butterfly

So, between chores and cleaning and sorting and again, rearranging my craft room, I managed to sit down and make this simple but pretty butterfly card.  It's another of those I made for my "thinking of you" stash.  These days it seems that I have more family and friends who live away than close by to share a cup of coffee.  Sigh,  I think my three sons should have taken me with them when they all moved out west, don't you?  😉

Stamp Set:  Wetlands - sentiment (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Tim Holtz's Fossilized Amber Oxide and Spiced Marmalade (Ranger), Soft Suede (Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Soft Suede, Whisper White (both Stampin' Up!); Patterned Paper:  Gabrielle (Bo Bunny), Succelent Garden (Stampin' Up!); Other:  Butterflies Thinlits Dies (Stampin' Up!), Simply Stamped - Butterflies Dies (Taylored Expressions)

The theme I used is from the Retro Rubber Challenge. It's an anything goes and one of my favorite kind of theme.  But, you have to use a stamp that is a year old or older.  For this one I used the sentiment from Wetlands which is from the 2013 Annual Catalog.

The sketch I used is from the Sunday Stamps Challenge. I loved the simplicity of this sketch. I've been using up bits and pieces of things I have laying around my desk and the butterfly patterned paper was perfect to showcase that bright Calypso Coral butterfly.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #123 - Marsha's "Fireworks" Theme Challenge

This week I'm hosting the theme challenge at the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  With the 4th of July fast approaching what better way to think about the celebrations than shoot off some "fireworks".  That's your challenge, "fireworks" on your project and light up the sky with your display!

For my card, I started with a card base of Real Red cardstock.  I stamped a circle of fireworks onto a layer of Whisper White cardstock using the following ink colors for my fireworks:  Calypso Coral, Daffodil Delight, Emerald Envy, Garden Green, Melon Mambo, Real Red, Rich Razzleberry, Tangerine Tango and Tempting Turquoise.  The stamp set I used is the Lovely Little Wreath from April 2016 Paper Pumpkin Kit by Stampin' Up!

For the center of my fireworks, I cut a circle of Whisper White cardstock using my Spellbinders Nestabilities Standard Circles (LG) Dies.  In the center of the circle I stamped a sentiment from Taylored Expressions Stars & Stripes stamp set in Night of Navy ink.  Then, using Real Red ink, I stamped the fireworks images from the Perpetual Birthday Calendar stamp set from Stampin' Up!

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit Watercooler Wednesday Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, June 19th at 6:00 p.m. Central Time to link your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Birthday Stars

Well, it's been one of those days.  My poor car has an issue and I was not sure it was going to get resolved but I'm so pleased and thankful that come tomorrow I'll have my little burgundy car back on the road taking me wherever I want to go.  I'm happy!

Today I'm sharing another card I made using the Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks.  It's a bright cheerful card and I know one of my grandchildren will love it.

The birthday theme challenge at The Paper Players Challenge was the perfect place to show off another of my distress oxide inks card I made at a recent Taylored Expressions class. They really are a lot of fun and you can do so many different things with them.

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge #122 - Libby's Feminine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Welcome to this week's Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.  While it may be an "Anything Goes" challenge, this one has a twist.  It must be a feminine project.  That's the only catch, otherwise it's all up to you as to what kind of project you make. 

Stamp Set:  Sprinkles of Life - sentiment (Stampin' Up!), Ink:  Tip Top Taupe; Cardstock:  Calypso Coral; Patterned Paper:  Serene Scenery Designer Series Paper Stack (Stampin' Up!), Succulent Garden (Stampin' Up!); Other:  Flower Layers #3 Die (Sizzix), Emerald Envy Thick Baker's Twine, Metal Rimmed Pearls

For all the challenge details and to share your project, visit the Watercooler Wednesday Challenge by clicking the image below.  We'd love to have you join us.  You have until Monday, June 12th at 6:00 p.m. Central Time to link your project.

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Hello Friend

One of the things I love about living where I do, is that I have a local stamp company right in my own back yard.  Taylored Expressions is just a hop, skip and jump away.  It gives me lots of opportunities to attend all kinds of classes.

The last one I attended was all about Tim Holtz's Distress Oxide Inks.  It was so much fun learning different ways to use them.  I thought this one would fit perfectly with The Flower Challenge this month.  I love how easy it is to blend the colors and get just the look you want.

An "anything goes" challenge has always been one of my favorites which is why I was so excited when I saw this week's challenge at The Flower Challenge.  It gave me a chance to show off one of the cards I made using Distress Oxide Inks. 

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

Crafty Calendar June Challenge - "All About the Boys"

Today I get to share with you some exciting news.  I am now a Design Team Member for the Crafty Calendar Challenge.  It's a monthly challenge and I know it's going to be a lot of fun.  I do hope you'll come and join us.

Our June challenge at the Crafty Calendar Challenge is "All About the Boys."  As you can see, Beach Bum Bob, an image from Dr. Digi's House of Stamps, is just getting started on his tan for the summer.  I wonder if that summer sun will bleach his beard even more white.

    

Stamps:  Beach Bum Bob (Dr. Digi's House of Stamps), All About Everything - sentiment (Stampin' Up!); Inks:  Early Espresso, Marina Mist, Pear Pizzazz (Stampin' Up!), Vintage Photo (Tim Holtz); Cardstock: Delightful Dijon, Early Espresso, Whisper White (Stampin' Up!); Patterned Paper:  Serene Scenery (Stampin' Up!); Other:  Prismacolor Colored Pencils, Sequins

For all the challenge details and to share your project at the Crafty Calendar Challenge, just click on our name.

Our sponsor for the month of June is Dr. Digi's House of Stamps.    

Thanks for stopping in at the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha

An Oxide Ink Background

Today finds me combining challenges and playing with my new Tim Holtz Distress Oxide Inks.  It's my first chance to do so since I purchased them.  They are a lot of fun.  I love that you can keep adding layers of color until you get the look you want or like best.  You have to dry them between applications to keep them from turning muddy but it's so worth the effort.

Stamp Set: Thankful Life - sentiment (Stampin' Up!); Distress Oxide Inks:  Faded Jeans, Fossilized Amber, Peeled Paint, Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick (Tim Holtz by Ranger); Ink:  Dapper Denim (Stampin' Up!); Cardstock:  Dapper Denim, Shimmery White, Whisper White (all Stampin' Up!); Other:  Postage Stamp Stacklets (Taylored Expressions), Sequins

The sketch from The Paper Players Challenge was perfect for making my own background layer.  At first I wasn't so sure about it but kept adding layers of color and I finally had a background I liked. 

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

Adding a Taylored Expressions Postage Stamp Stacklets die-cut, which is part of The Male Room Challenge, let me showcase that great sentiment from the Thankful Life stamp set by Stampin' Up!  A few sequins and perfect guy card is created.

For all the challenge details and to share your project, click the image below.

So glad you stopped by the Coffee Pot Stamping Cafe,

Marsha