Lotta Lattes

Autumn, thanks, and coffee - my favorite things for cards.  And I couldn't even wait a whole day after getting my new Elizabeth Crafts dies in the mail to make this card.  Fun!

I really like the new free digital latte images by Verve.  I mirrored the image so the leaves are facing out on both left and right panels.
After I cut out the three card pieces, I ran them back through the Cuttlebug to emboss the stitch line.  In order to make them more noticeable, I used the die as a stencil and inked them with a Tim Holz Distress Ink pen.
The leaves on the center circle are made with a Verve die.  I don't have the corresponding stamp so I drew the veins on and added a bit of Copic.  The leaves in the upper corners of the left and right panels is a Stampin Up stamp.
Here are a couple of close ups:

Challenges:
Coffee Lovers Bloghop
Uniko - Autumn and thanks
Pink Gem - Autumn
DLArt Thankful Thursday - Fall
Simon Work It Wednesday - use a stamp
Crop Stop - Anything (score tape, Cuttlebug)
Classy Cards - feeling Fallish
Die Cuttin Divas - anything
Papertakes -  Take you Pick : die cuts, Fall colors
Simon Wednesday - anything

Waving "Goodbye"

It is time to bring the September challenge at the Die Cut Divas to a close.
Using one of the sketches found here at the Die Cut Diva's Challenge, I framed this cute Bugaboo Bear with turquoise cardstock, cut with a die from the  Die-namics Rectangle Stax.

We have had two sponsors this month at the DCDC , Bugaboo and One Happy Cut, and we have had two sketches:

Thank you to both sponsors and thank you to Hannah for providing the sketches.  We will be back tomorrow, Oct 1 with a new challenge.

Challenges:
Paper Takes - Autumn colors of red, brown, rust ; technique - out of the box
Die Cuttin Divas - anything
Di's Digis - animal acting like humans

Where Is My Mind

As each year passes, I am faced with the fact that my memory and concentration are not what they used to be.  A few posts ago, I mentioned that I made another note pad ( first one here and second one here) with this sentiment that I picked up at Ginger's House .

I love this card by Kim Makortoff so I CASED it:

I printed Decosse"s Dynamic Doodles digital leaves, cutting and pasting in order to cover some empty spots. Because it will be sitting on top of my desk (unless it gets lost under clutter!) the front did not have to be flat so I sewed on a button and added some melted Perler beads in some of the places I did not fill in with leaves.
After I put the sentiment and the leaves together, I realized it said "leaves".  Punny.
I love making these note pads and they are so helpful.  Hardly a time goes by when I don't need to make some notes to myself when I am on the computer or on the phone.  They are life-savers.  Oh, there is the theme for the next one - life-savers.  Humm, nautical or candy?

Challenges:
Simon Wednesday - no designer paper
Uniko - Autumn
Pink Gem - Autumn
Stamping Boutique - no designer paper
DLArt - anything
Stamplorations - CASE
Crafty Sentiments - Autumn leaves

Oh, Baby!

That is the CAS theme of the challenge at the Kraft Journal.  I don't make many baby cards, but it is so nice to have some on hand.
I love blue and kraft together and the blue in this pre-colored digital image by Doodle Pantry is so pretty.  A perfect image to use with Warm Brown Kraft Cardstock.

I cut the scalloped circle out of the Kraft base and then cut a larger one out of the designer paper.  After attaching that to the Kraft, I tied two stands of Earthy Natural Hemp around the front of the card,  (the base is cut lengthwise with the fold at the top) tying on a button.
The image is on a 4 x 5 1/4 piece of white cardstock which I glued to the back flap of the Kraft base so when the card is opened:

CAS, easy, simple.
The sketch for the front of the card: MFT

Challenges:
Sweet Stampin' - non white base
DLArt - anything
MFT - sketch
Paper Creators - new baby

Fa La La

Bugaboo and One Happy Cut are the sponsors for this month's Die Cut Diva's Challenge.  The challenge?  Use one of the two sketches provided.

Some of you are so organized and so on the ball making Christmas cards all year long.  Not me!  I'm one that waits to the last minute.  But these cute Bugaboo Carolers just needed to be colored and made into a card.  With this sketch, I used one of the dies from the  Die-namic Rectangle Stax to cut a piece and layer it behind the image.

FaLaLa, a GKD stamp,  is a stamped onto white cardstock and then cut with a MFT banner die.
Card base is Stampin Up Celery.


Maybe digging through the Christmas patterned papers and making this card will spur me on to making more seasonal cards.  But don't bet on it! 

Challenges:
Simon Monday - use a stamp
Paper Takes - Christmas
Word Art Wednesday - anything
DLArt - anything
Stamploration - stamps and music
Sweet Stampin - non-white base
Sweet Stamps -  amything

Pumpkin Latte Love

The Coffee Lovers Bloghop inspired me to make this Birthday Card that I needed right away.  I need to get it into the mail for my daughter's birthday.

A BIG thank you  to Julee at Verve for this cute latte cup and sentiment.  And thanks to Anja  Bytyai for her inspiration.  Here is her card that I CASED and then tweaked. Just love it.

For my card, I cut out a pumpkin shape (DCWV embossed paper) with a Spellbinder die then put the fussy cut latte cup on top that.  I love the circles on Anja's card so I cut some green ones with MFT Circle Stax dies, putting them under and over the burlap. 
I forgot to take a photo of the inside, but on the side opposite the birthday sentiment,  I attached a small glassine envelop and enclosed a Coffee Gift card. I cut out another pumpkin and glued it to the glassine envelop.  Guess you will have to take my word for it that it turned out cute.   I am making a notepad which I may show in some later post.  On the front it says, "My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely."  Unfortunately, I am experiencing this more every year!

Challenges:
Coffee Lovers Bloghop
Die Cuttin Divas - pumpkin
Dies R Us - hot color inspiration
Word Art Wednesday - anything
DLArt - Fall
Uniko - Autumn

Second Coffee Gift

In yesterday's post, I told you about making coffee infusion bags.  Here is the second gift container for those.

My DH and I had just emptied a plastic jar of chocolate covered macadamia nuts.  Perfect, I thought,  except for the purple lid.  But wait.  There is a jar of chocolate covered almonds (Do you see a theme here?) in the cupboard.  Swapped the lid onto this jar and added some beautiful orange ribbon by Stampin Up.
The corrugated wrap around the jar is Lunch Bag Kraft from the Kraft Outlet which I ran through the crimper.
Isn't this a cute saying?  I printed it up and backed it with GKD Tomato Red cardstock then popped it up (on) with dimensionals.  The ingredients tag is just made on my computer and then I cut it out with a Spellbinder tag, punched a whole and then added an orange reinforcement circle of Tomato Red than I made using two punches.
Don't you love raffia?  Such a country, Autumn look.

Challenges:
Coffee Lovers Bloghop 
Uniko - Autumn
DLArt - anything
Simon Wednesday - no designer paper
Word Art Wednesday - anything 

Coffee Gifts

For quite some time I have had an idea in the back of my mind - a gift I am going to make for my mom.  She is 92 and lives by herself.  She used to buy coffee infusion bags, like tea bags, for making an individual cup of coffee.  We can't find them any more so I am going to make her some.  The Coffee Lovers Bloghop spurred me on to make the containers for these bags.

This is an actual white coffee bag that the Kraft Journal used to carry.  It is discontinued now but I still had a couple in my stash.  The striped paper has also been in my stash for a long time. 
The image of the coffee bag and beans is a  GKD stamp, colored with Copics.   I wrote "mom" and drew the heart by hand.

The image is cut out with a Spellbinder Superecllipse die.
I was pretty sure I still had one heart button kicking around in my button box. Yes! 
Here is a close up of the coffee flow thru bag.  I will be making at least 50 of these to put into the white/decorated bag.

Not sure if I will put decaf or high octane infusion bags into this gift bag.  But whichever, I will be making both.  Come back tomorrow and see what I made for the other coffee infusion bags.

Challenges:
Coffee Lovers Bloghop
Simon Monday - use a stamp
Inspiration Destination - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Uniko - Autumn
Di's Digis - Fall colors
Dies R Us - hot color photo
Simon Says Work It Wednesday - use a stamp
DLArt - anything
Crop Stop - anything (used Cuttlebug machine, Tim Holz distress ink)

Pumpkin Time

Yes, I have said it before and I'll say it again, "I love pumpkins! and anything made with pumpkins."  Could I convince you if I told you I was drinking a pumpkin latte as I write this post?

I am having fun with my Spellbinder pumpkin dies.  For this card I cut all the pieces from the same color of orange and then sponged some like color ink on the edges before stacking them.
The card base is Brown Kraft. The next layer is Buff Ivory cardstock to which I added some Tim Holz Tea Dye Distress ink on the edges.  The recipe, which is backed with Brown Kraft, and the word "pumpkin" are both stickers from Tim Holtz Salvage Seasonal Stickers.
The challenge this week at the Kraft Journal is "Anything Goes - with pumpkins.  Not a hard challenge for this pumpkin lover!  We hope to see some of your pumpkin cards or projects.

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - dies
Uniko - Autumn
Di's Digis - Fall colors
Dies R Us - photo inspiration colors
DLArt - anything
Simon Work It Wednesday - Fall
Crop Stop - anything  (used TimHolz Distress Ink, Cuttlebug Maching)

Autumn Flowers - Favorites

When asked what my favorite flower is, I tend to choose what is in season!  My flower beds are still full of Black Eyed Susans and I love the bright color they bring to the Fall colors.

The cardstocks are GKD Sweet Corn and Dark Chocolate.
I made this card for my DIL using the Silhouette.  Inside I printed a Sunflower (I know it is different from the black eyed susan but it is the closest image I had) and sentiment, both by Doodle Pantry. I colored it with Copics.

Sketch - MFT:

Challenges:
Crafty Creations - use 2 of something (twine)
Di's Digi - Fall
Time Out - CASE Tracy's card
Simon Work It Wednesday - Fall colors
DLArt - anything
Simon Monday - love this technique (sponging)
MFT - sketch
Pile It On - birthday

Please, Don't Eat the Daisies

Remember that movie with Doris Day?  Apparently, this pup has not heard of it or that request.

I had fun making this card with this cute Bugaboo Flower Puppy and as with almost every dog stamp or digital image, I used the Paw Print embossing folder.  The die cut behind the image is Labels One.  The other dies that I used is the MFT Vine and little flowers from the Cuttlebug Flower Borders.
Bugaboo and One Happy Cut are our sponsors this month at Die Cut Diva's and the challenge is to use one of two sketches.  This is the sketch I chose for this card:

We hope you pick one of the sketches and enter your cards. The challenge ends September 30.

Challenges:
Simon Monday - love this technique (EF and sponging)
Paper Takes - animal
Crafty Sentiments - anything
Tuesday Throwdown - for a child
DLArt - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - dies

Cute Lil' Pumpkin'

Such a cute image by From the Heart.  Just had to take time to make a card with her.  I actually colored her with Copics over a week ago but now taking time to make the card.

I used the sketch at Sketch Saturday:

 Designer paper is DCWV scraps.  Card base is Stampin' Up Pumpkin Spice.  Dots are melted Perler beads.  So fun to have so many colors to choose from.

Challenges:
Simon Monday - love this technique (melting Perler beads)
Scrappy Moms - orange and brown
Crafty Sentiments - anything
Tuesday Throwdown - for a child
Inspiration Destination - anything
From the Heart - progressive challenge
Di's Digi - Fall
V's Sweet Ideas - new or favorite technique
DLArt - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything 

Time Again to Pick Three

It is time to pick three at the Kraft Journal.  What are the choices?  Patterned paper, embossing, purple, leaves, tag, glitter, ribbon, die cut.

Warm Brown Kraft cardstock is so perfect for Autumn cards so that is the base and the creamy Buff Ivory Text paper (also comes in cardstock) is the next layer.  The pre-colored digital image which is already bordered with a rust border is by Diane's Daydream Designs.  The pumpkins are cut with Spellbinder dies, the vine and leaves are cut with a Cherry Lynn die.  The beautiful orange ribbon is Stampin Up which is so nice and thick -  a strip of Scoretape secures it to the front beautifully.
So do you feel challenged to pick three from the list at the Kraft Journal?  We would love to see your entries.
 Sketch:

Challenges:
Paper Takes - things with wings
Tuesday Throwdown - anything
Inspiration Destination - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
My Favorite Thing - sketch
Crafty Creations - out on a limb
Di's Digis - Fall colors
Cuttlebug Mania - anything 
Simon Says Work It Wednesday - Fall
DLArt - anything
Crop Stop - anything

6 X 6 Scripture Piece

My Silhouette has not seen much use lately and I have quite a few Silhouette files that I have never used.  It was time to remedy that.
I'm not sure what to call these 6 X 6 pieces that I make.  I place them on a small wooden easel on my dining room hutch.   The Scripture is a digital download from Word Art Wednesday (who BTW is celebrating their 200th challenge this week)

The ballet slippers are a digital image by Diane's Daydream Design.
The circle and the borders are Silhouette cutting files.  They are two separate files but have the same design.  I usually use Spellbinder dies and Di-namics for circles but I like this shape and the matching border so will be using it again.
MFT sketch for this week:

Challenges:
MFT - sketch
Tuesday Throwdown - anything
Inspiration Destination - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Sweet Stamps- anything
Sweet Stampin - music
NBUS - anything NBUS
Stamploration - music
CASual Chic - music
DLArt - anything 

My Own Scratch Pad

Here is the other note pad I made.  You can go back to the previous post for more details on the making.

Again I used digital images, placing the hen and chicks over the wire.  The wire and chickens are both by Diane's Daydream Designs.  Sentiment is my own.

I bet I've had these printing papers a dozen years.  So great to use them up in something fun and cute.

Challenges:
Crafty Creations - out on a limb (bird)
Di's Digis - sentiment
Sweet Stamps - anything
Paper Takes - things with wings
Tuesday Throwdown - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything 
DLArt - anything
Inspiration Destination - anything

Made It Myself

One thing I tried lately and had fun doing is making note pads/ scratch pads.  I made a couple and my granddaughters thought they were so fun, I helped them make some too for school.
 I have a ton of old paper for printing that I cut up into fourths.  The padding compound (mine is from the Kraft Outlet) is easy to use - just brush on a few layers.  While it dried, I made the cover.  The musical page is a digital image that I reduced to the correct size.  "Just a note" is super imposed onto the page before printing. It measures 4 1/4" X 5 1/4
 

The black cardstock is cut 4 1/4 X 7 1/2 which gives a flap that can be glued onto the chipboard back.

Here is a side view and an inside view.

I showed this (and the other one I made) to my hubby and he immediately claimed this one as his own!
It really is a great size to keep on the desk next to the computer.
Great way to use up all the printing paper that I will never use in the printer.

Challenges:
Stamplorations - music theme
CASual Fridays - music
Sweet Stamps - anything
V's Sweet Ideas - new technique
Tuesday Throwdown - anything
Sweet Stampin - musical
Inspiration Destination - anything
Word Art Wednesday - anything

Book Worm

Autumn = school.  School = books.  Thankfully most of my grandchildren are book worms.

While working on the back to school cards for my grandchildren, I ran across this digital image (printed and saved) which has been in my "to do" stash for ages.  Literally.  With the Kraft Journal Challenge of Autumn in mind, I colored it with earth colors (Copics) and added some fussy cut leaves from old scrapbook kit pieces.  All the colors of the  Baker's Twine are found at the Kraft Outlet and the card base is Brown Kraft, also found at the Outlet.
The image is cut out with MFT Rectangle Stax.  The corners are stickers. Sentiment is cut with a Spellbinder die.
Do you love Autumn?  I do.  It is my favorite season.  We would love to see some of your Autumn theme cards show up at the Kraft Journal.  This challenge starts today, Sept 7 and ends Sept 13.

Challenges:
Crafty Sentiments - school days
Simon Wednesday - make it colorful
Penny's Paper Crafty - use a sentiment
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Inspiration Destination - anything
Dies R Us - back to school
Time Out - use a marker
Cuttlebug Mania - anything
Sweet Stamps - anything
Simon Says Work it Wednesday - Fall
Paper Sweeties - Photo inspiration 
Stamping Boutique - back to school

In the Pink

Since the wind storm that hit last Saturday, it has been raining and the temps have dropped from 80 to 60.  Now I am in long pants, sweatshirt, sox, and have even turned on the wallboard heater in my craft room.  Crazy. So is our summer gone?  Will we get an Indian summer after this week?  I sure hope so. Even though Fall is my favorite time of year, I'm not ready to give up summer.
So many of our flowers were destroyed in the storm (up to 60 mph winds).  All the dahlia plants are broken and the gladiolas are on the ground.  I sure wasn't ready to say goodbye to all those pinks and purples.  That is probably why I took on some of the pink challenges for this card.

I used #272 sketch at Sketch Saturday

The flower is a Hero Arts digital image from the Poetic Petals Printables set and is colored with Copics.
This card gave me the opportunity to us my new Spellbinders Happy Birthday Garland Die D Lites. Thank goodness for my Silhouette Pick Me Up tool.  Those little hearts are TINY!
Also used is a circle from the Dienamics Circle Stax, a Spellbinder Scalloped Circle, and a Cuttlebug embossing folder, all cut and embossed with my Cuttlebug. 

Challenges:
Classy Cards - celebrate and photo inspiration
Stamplorations Case - cased Kim Makortoff's card with circle, poppies, and embossing
Simon Monday - 3 colors: pink, green, yellow
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - make it colorful
Time Out - use a marker
Uniko - summer and photo inspiration
Crop Stop - anything
Sweet Stamps - anything

Back to School with Bugaboo

How fun is this image by Bugaboo?  This card is one of the many back to school cards I made for my grandchildren and with so many to make (10), this simple sketch at Die Cut Diva's was perfect.

This month the Die Cut Diva's Challenge has two wonderful sponsors, Bugaboo and One Happy Cut.
The die that I used to cut out the image was a Curved Rectangle by Spellbinder.  I traced the same die onto the red cardstock and cut it free hand so I could back the image cut.  The background lined paper is from a stack of school themed patterned paper. 
Check out our challenge and then play!

Challenges:
Word Art Wednesday - anything
Simon Wednesday - anything
Stamping Boutique - back to school
Dies R Us - back to school
Cuttlebug Mania - anything
Di's Digidesign - sentiment
Craftin Desert Divas - for a kid
Paper Sweeties - photo inspiration
Terrific Tuesday Scrapping Moms - back to school