Coffee Lover

  I love coffee but I am somewhat of a coffee snob; I do not like old coffee, coffee made from coffee in a can, weak coffee, and please give it to me black!
This card was not on my schedule for today but I just could not pass up the Coffee Lovers Bloghop. Because I went with simple, it did not take long and I really like how it came out.  Hard to go wrong with Doodle Pantry pre-colored images.

The images and sentiment are Doodle Pantry - two sets, Coffee Biscotti and The Grind.  Love the papers that are included.  These are with the Grind set.
The little blue cup is super-imposed onto the cup from Coffee Biscotti and I colored it with a Prisma pencil.  The button is cut out with a MFT die and tied with my favorite twine from the Kraft Journal .
The sketch is Your Next Stamp September sketch:

Challenges:
Coffee Lovers Bloghop
My Craft Spot - sweet treats
Simon Wednesday - anything
Pink Gem - CAS
Stamp and Create - circles or dots
Crafty Cardmaker - triple B - button, biscotti, blue
Word Art Wednesday - anything

Sew Excited !!!

If you heard a squeal a few weeks ago, it was me when I found out that the Kraft Journal wanted me on their Design Team.  I am so excited and so honored!
Sew for my debut card:

I don't use stickers very often but I have had these Tim Holz stickers, which were from the Kraft Outlet, for quite some time and since the challenge is Buttons and Bows, they seamed perfect.  The image and the buttons are all stickers.  This exact set of stickers is discontinued at the Kraft Outlet, but there are others to choose from that would be fun to use too.
The Measure Tape Washi tape was fun to use.  The bow is made with Hand Stained Bias Tape and I wrapped the center with my favorite twine, the Earthy Hemp Cord.
All of those elements are on a Vintage Dictionary Page which is backed by Brown Kraft Cardstock and the card base is Buff Ivory Cardstock.
As you can see,I sew love these products.  I hope you will head over to the Kraft Outlet to have a look.  And play with use with the Buttons and Bow Challenge.

Challenges I will enter:
Love to Create - love of ribbon
Sweet Stamps - favorite embellishment
Simon Wednesday - anything
Word Art Wednesday  - anything 

Owl My Hoot

One of the digital sets that was released in September by Doodle Pantry is this cute set, What A Hoot.  I love all the pre-colored images and the combinations that are in the set. For this card I used the owl on the fence and cut it out with my Silhouette.

The moon, which is just a colored circle that I made in my Microsoft Publisher program, and the sentiment were printed on white cardstock.  The owl on the fence was then placed on top.  The edges of the cardstock were distressed and sponged with some blue and gray.  The grass is an icicle die by MFT which looks like grass when used upside down.
Here is a pic of the set:

LOOK at all the possibilities !  And so many fun sentiments.

Challenges:
Love to Create - fussy cut
Papertakes - how cute
Simon Wednesday - anything
Sister Act - anything
Great Impressions - get your spook on
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Frosted Designs - Fall

You Are You

Wise words by Dr. Suess.

This is Bugaboo's rendition of the Cat in the Hat.  I think he is cuter than the drawings in my kids' book.  Oh, the hours I spent reading Dr Suess books.  I'm sure I could quote some of them by heart.

Back to the card - I used a technique to make a wood grain background, scoring the SU Creamy Caramel cardstock then swiping it with Craft White and Really Rust.
The button is cut from Really Red with a button die.  I love these because they are flat and mailable.  I have hundreds of buttons but use the die instead.  One of my favorite embellishments.
There are just a few more days to enter the Die Cut Diva's Challenge of New Things.
We would love for you to play along.

Challenges:
Papertakes - how cute
Sweet Stamps - favorite embellishment
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Sister Act - anything
Chocolate, Coffee, Cards - dogs and cats
Creative Card Crew - use twine
Simon Wednesday - anything 

Your Syle Makes Me Smile

It is funny how styles come and go in the fashion industry.  I think the sentiment on this card is really cute.  If we could only remember that it is not the fashion, or the clothes, but the person inside them that is important and that pleasant disposition never goes out of style.

The beautiful image, papers, and sentiment are all from a Diane's Daydream Design set Life Is Sew Sweet.

I usually don't use bulky embellishments but I had this pretty orange flower,  that I had made with the Silhouette Portrait, sitting in my embellishment pile.  It seemed like the perfect thing for this card.

Keep checking Diane's Daydream Design Blog.  There are some exciting things in the air.

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Cards Galore - any card
Crafty Creations - vintage
Sisters Act - anything
Meljen - Karaoke  (the Beatles song Something ) and now I probably can't get it out of my head:
Somewhere in her smile she knows
That I don't need no other lover
Something in her style that shows me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how

Nutty Friday

Did you know there were just too many cute digital stamps for the October release at Doodle Pantry so Laurie Wilson, the owner and creator, has a mid-month release going on.

  LATEST RELEASES HERE

As a bonus, one of the new products is FREE with a purchase LIMITED TIME from September 16 thru September 24 ONLY!
(And don't forget that the Ageless Antiques 1 from September 1 release is also still free w/purchase through September 24 too)
Today I am featuring one of the sets in this mid-month release.  Just Nutty

The tree with squirrel in the hole, the sentiment, and the row of acorns were all printed at the same time.  I added the tree branch which I fussy cut and then glued it on.
Die cut is Cheery Lynn.  The SU Creamy Caramel card stock base was embossed with a woodgrain EF and then I sponged several colors on.
The sketch I used was Sketch Saturday #327:

 
Challenges:
Simon Monday - technique
Through the Craft Room Door - anything
Sweet Stamps - anything
Crafty Sentiments - Autumn
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Pennys Paper Crafting - emboss
Sister Act - anything

Bushels of Thanks

My sister lives on the other side of the state where apples are the biggest industry.  In fact, her husband is the largest fruit packers in the state.  I wanted to thank her for her hospitality recently so I chose apples as a theme for my card.

The checks BG paper, basket of apples and the cut apple are all Diane's Daydream Design pre-colored digital images.  Burlap and twine are from the Kraft Outlet.
I don't use tags very often but I challenged myself for this card.  Cut my own tag then punched out a circle and punched a hole in that before attaching it to the tag.  The tag was slipped in behind the basket of apples before I secured everything with glue and Score Tape.

Challenges:
Simon Monday - techniques (stitching and distressing)
Kraft Journal - tags
Paper Takes - use punches
Through the Craft Room Door - anything
Sweet Stamps - anything
Crafty Sentiments - Autumn colors
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Sister Act - anything
2Cute - Fall
Di's DigiDesigns - checks
Simon Wednesday - tags

A Fan-tastic Day

We had a fantastic day yesterday, Sunday, but I'll get to the card first and then tell you about our day.

Both background papers, image and sentiment are by Doodle Pantry.  I love these colors! and I did not have to color them; they come pre-colored.  Of course the set comes with lined images too if you want to color them yourself.
After I cut out the fan, I got the crazy notion to cut the sentiment with the same circle.  I kinda like it.  And talk about an easy card.
Here is the set:

Just a reminder, too, about the Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge.  Receive a set for playing along.  Go to Doodle Pantry Digital Challenge for the details. 

Okay, so back to our fantastic day.  My husband and I loaded up the kayaks (I LOVE kayaking!) and headed up to Canada.  An hour and a half later we were at Chilliwack Lake. The drive was beautiful with the leaves starting to change color.   It was a beautiful hot day without a cloud in the sky.  We paddled around the lake, sat in the sun, paddled some more until we were both tired, loaded up and headed home.  I'm not sure if we will get another chance to do that before the weather turns rainy and/or cold so this was just the perfect day to get in this mini trip.  I am really going to miss this nice weather when it is gone.  But thankful for yesterday - it was  fantastic.
Here are a few pics:

 Gorgeous!

 Also Gorgeous!

And me. 

I hope you have a fantastic day and week!

Challenges:

Sister Act - anything  

Word Art Wednesday - anything

Meljen - use a funny sentiment

Crafty Catz - CAS

Stamp and Create - circles and dots 

Crafty Sentiments - spots and/or stripes

Nephew's Wedding

Wedding cards are a real challenge for me.  I put off making them as long as I can.  But when I can wait no longer, under stress, I make one and usually like it.  This one took several attempts but I do like the end result.

It was a difficult card to photograph but you can see most of the detail in this pic - just prettier IRL.  I embossed the words and the bells with silver, used silver paper for layering.  The pink is vellum that I embossed with a new embossing folder.  Silver hearts are brads.

Challenges:
Sweet Stamps - wedding
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Through the Craft Room Door - anything
Simon Wednesday - make own BG
Sister Act - anything
Cards Galore - any card

Late Post - Another A+ Kid

Just now getting around to posting what I thought would be posted early this morning but I won't bore you with the details as to why.
When I made the other A+ kid card, I made this one too.  With eleven grandchildren, 10 who are in school, it does not hurt to make several cards at a time !

The chalkboard is printed right onto the notebook paper and the apple is superimposed onto the chalkboard before printing.  All three (apple, chalkboard, paper) are by Diane's Daydream Designs.

The buttons and "you" are cut out with MFT button dies.  Layers - Garden Green by SU and Brown Kraft.  The button "thread" is very thin twine from Kraft Outlet.

Challenges:
Kraft Journal - anything
Craft Your Passion - circles
Through the Craft Room Door - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Crafter's Cafe - Card for a child
Stamping Boutique - back to school
Crafty Catz - CAS
Suzy Bees - anything
Crafty Sentiments - spots and stripes

A+ Kid

 I want my grandkids to know that they are A+ kids even if they don't get A's on their report cards.  I'm really more concerned about their character than their grades.  Here is one of the cards I made with that message.

The background paper (love it!), border, chalkboard, and apple are digital images found at Diane's Daydream Designs.  The top was done with a die.  The message and heart were done with the computer. I smudged a bit of white pigment ink onto the chalkboard image.
Card base is SU Creamy Caramel; red layer is SU Real Red.

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Craft 4 Eternity - digital
Suzy Bees - anything
Clear It Out - anything
Crazy Challenge - 3 of a kind (3 digital images)
Sister Act - anything 

Back to School

Most of my grandchildren are back to school.   Some started the second week in August , some the week before Labor Day Weekend and two will start next week.  Time got away from me so I am just now making back to school cards for all of them.
I just made this one last night.  The images are by Diane's Daydream Designs.

In fact, everything except the twine and cardstock base is from the School Days set.  Yes, even the buttons which I cut out with MFT button dies after I printed out the buttons.
The sentiment in printed onto the chalk board with a computer font and then I smudged a little white pigment ink onto the board.  The books are popped up a bit with a few layers of cardstock.  I didn't want too much dimension because the card will be mailed.
The base looks black which looks okay in the photo but it really is blue to go along with the blues in the BG paper, buttons, and books.

Challenges:
Craft Your Passion - back to school
Crafting from the Heart - anything
Papertakes - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Sister Act - anything
Creative Card Crew - chalk board
2 Cute - anything
The Crazy Challenge - 3 of a kind (3 patterned papers= plaid, star strip, border strip)
Suzy Bees - anything
Crafts 4 Eternity - digital

Let's Try Something New

 Three cards today - all with Bugaboo digital images.  Bugaboo is the sponsor for the September challenge at Die Cut Diva's Challenge.  So what is the challenge this month?  Something new - a new technique or new supplies or new image.  You get the point.
 So for my first card - a new image.
This is one Bugaboo image I just had to have.  My 5 year old granddaughter loves unicorns.  She makes horns out of empty paper towel rolls, taping that to a headband so she can be a unicorn.  I know she will like this one.

The border piece is punched, the flowers are made with a Cuttlebug die, clouds with a MFT die.
That little flower gem has been in my stash for years.
Coloring was done with Prisma pencils.

Next card:
This is a fun technique.  Crumple up (wad up into a ball) some wax paper.  Smooth it out.  Sandwich it between two pieces of glossy paper and then iron it.  After the two pieces are cool, heavily sponge on ink and then wipe off excess with a paper towel.  Result - great BG paper for animal images.

Another new thing I tried was a different look for the clouds.  I have sponged before but this time I used a large round daubber but only used the edges.  I like the round streaky look.
Balloons are covered with liquid glaze.  Sentiment is cut out with a Spellbinders die.

Last card:

Another new image and I must confess I have used newspaper before and have put "coffee rings" on before but maybe this is a new idea for you.
This gal really reminds me of myself in the morning (just wish I were that thin! )  Sentiment is by Doodle Pantry and was cut out with a Spellbinder die.

So what will you do that is new?  Come join the fun at Die Cut Diva's Challenge 

Challenges I will enter:
Pile It On - punches
Crafting From the Heart - anything
Papertakes - anything
Through the Craft Room Door - anything
Crafty Sentiments - anything
Sister Act - anything
Crazy Challenge - three of a kind (three flowers, three colors of cardstock)

September 1 and New Release

September 1 means a new release at Doodle Pantry.  And AGAIN - fabulous new digital sets.

Adding to the other fantastic antique and vintage images is the antique desk.  My mom has one of these.  It was her mom's and I hope someday it will be mine.  The wood grain piece of patterned paper is also by Doodle Pantry. The cording is from my mom's old stash (now my old stash!)
Sketch is Papertakes sketch #79

I colored the image with Prisma pencils but for the next card, I used a pre-colored image.

This little card is only 3 x 4 so it was wonderful not to have to color that little image.  The card is one of Lori's SVG files that can be found at Doodle Pantry.  The antique patterned paper and the wood grain paper are both by Doodle Pantry.
Here is a pic of the Antique Desk set:

and a pic of the Card Cut 7:

Doodle Pantry is having a SALE for the next few days -  30% off everything in your cart PLUS a free with purchase set.

Challenges:
Tuesday Throwdown - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Crafter's Cafe - punches or dies
Sister Act - anything  
Brown Sugar - anything
Pile It On - punches
Crafting From the Heart - anything
2 Cute - anything