The Beans

I used Paper Smooches Cyber Cafe stamp set.

I created my own background paper with the triple bean stamp.    In assembly, I put the scallop on dimensional foam and added dots for interest.

I'm entering the Paper Smooches SPARKS Designer Drafts Challenge ends Feb 28 HERE

This is my third entry (at #138) at the Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop HERE.

I Love Coffee and You

Working with STAMPlorations products again for a few more challenges.

I'm casing Deepti's card which can be found in the 4th post HERE
and linking my card to:
1) the Inspiration CASE Playground HERE
2) their Anything Goes challenge HERE and
3) their February Hearts and Stamps challenge HERE

Back to the casing:  Instead of using a pre-printed background, I chose to create a shaded background as demonstrated by Nonni HERE with the ARTplorations Hearts All Over Stencil from STAMPlorations and used the following Ranger Distress Inks:  Spun Sugar, Tattered Rose, Worn Lipstick, Picked Raspberry, and Festive Berries.  I did use canvas to create the banners but wasn't happy with the look, I think because I was using muted tones rather than the vibrant variety Deepti had-- so I saved only one and switched to washi tape..  Stamps used are from the Eat Drink Be Merry STAMPlorations set.

And, course, I'm linking this up to the Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop HERE (my second entry at #136)

Coffee Anyone?

The Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop has officially started.  You can link up your coffee (or tea or cocoa) creations, comment on participants' posts, and-- if the coffee beans align--you may even win a prize from one of the many sponsors. Details are at the official Coffee Lovers Blog HERE.

For my first entry, I made this sign.  I used a coffee cup and steam from the Hero Arts Caffeine Fix digital set and a premde sentiment square offered as a freebie from The Cottage Market.

I used my Photoshop software to put a frame around the square and layer the coffee cup and steam.  I chose a background and then played with color and shadowing.  Altogether I have a nicely matted sign which serves as my mantra.

Indeed, life is too short for bad coffee!

I'll be posting more coffee themed craftiness between now and March 6th when the blog hop ends.
My link up number is #66 HERE.

Donuts

I can't lie!  I craved doughnuts while making this card!  

Donuts are stamped with Archival ink in Coffee.  (Don't use water soluble ink--it will make the frosting bleed.)

I studied Shirley's spotlight at STAMPlorations HERE in which she discussed "frosting" the donuts. I decided to do my own experimenting with products I had in my stash.

Wanting my frosting to look dimensional--a layer on top of the donut--I used the following:
Glitter glue--both Studio G and Ranger Stickles in various colors to look like colored sugar.
Dimensional paint--Art Anthology Sorbet ended up looking to me like toasted coconut.
Liquid Pearls in white- with Crytal Effectz to look like granulated sugar
I didn't have any dimensional for my chocolate frosting, so I mixed some Wendy Vecchi embossing paste with chocolate brown acrylic craft paint.  I didn't think it was a dark enough contrast for my dough, so I added some USArtQuest Burnt Umber Perfect Pigment.

When the frosting hardened, I colored the donuts with Copic Brick Beige and Sepia and Stampin' Write Chocolate Chip.

STAMPlorations Sugar Rush stamp set:  doughnuts, sentiment
Stampin' Up A Cherry On Top stamp set: cake stand
Archival Ink Tree Branch
Wilton doily
Doodlebug Twine

Entering These Challenges:

STAMPlorations Anything Goes Challenge (open, random win awarded every 50 entries)
STAMPlorations bi-weekly Sketch Challenge #28 due Feb 27

Altered Playing Cards

We're getting close to finishing our deck of altered playing cards.  The challenge is at Claudine's Art Corner HERE

Week 24.  Claudine's samples are HERE
This week we're covering our cards with washi tape.

I chose not to follow suit (excuse the card playing pun) with Claudine's cutout.  Instead I used a Glitz silhouette and a black frame sticker from Little Yellow Bicycle.  On the other card, rather than color an image, I used a digital cherub from My Artistic Adventures Etsy shop. I edged it with silver Wink of Stella.

Vintage Love Tag

Thank you for visiting!  And welcome to my latest followers!  I appreciate you! As you can see, I changed my blog background again.  We have about a foot of snow on the ground and now are in a deep freeze.  I really want spring to get here!  But it's a good time to stay inside and craft!

Here is my latest project.  I took a photo of it at the kitchen table and then used my magic eraser in my software program to remove the background--too many shadows created by the temporary sun.  I hope what's left here looks decent enough to enter some challenges.

I used dark brown ink for the image, a brown heart in the corner, and anchored everything with brown fringe pompons.  Other details are included in the Materials Used section.

Materials Used:
manila shaped tag painted with
USArtQuest Perfect Pigment Cobalt Turquoise Hue acrylic paint, applied with brush and water
USArtQuest Vintage Red Sparkling Mica and Pigment Watercolor Paint
Stampin' Write chocolate marker to highlight embossed edge of tag

Rubber Dance Stamps Nostalgia Love and sentiment Love from Something Wonderful
Stampin' Up very vanilla cardstock to stamp image
Stampin' Up early expresso ink to stamp image
Ranger Distress Ink fired brick to color stamped image (I used a dry baby wipe to color)
Stampin' Write cherry cobbler marker to ink up word Love
Wilton heart doily, red was covered first with fired brick and then early expresso to create the deep vintage red color
Stampin' Up cherry cobbler ribbon

Sharing with Tag Tuesday where this week's inspiration theme is text.  You can see all the players' interpretations of this theme HERE.

Entering these challenges:

Rubber Dance Stamps February Challenge--Loved Up 
color palette with optional theme of love (love of anything)

Full of romance - turquoise, deep red and chocolate brown

Live and Love Crafts: Challenge #32  Hearts

Mema's Crafts: February Challenge Valentine's Day

Crafty Hoarders Anonymous:  February Challenge: How I Love Thee  due March 8
Other than the stamps, everything you see has been hoarded in my stash

PDE Linky Party:  Anything But a Card