Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Cup of Cheer

Don't you love it when you can create not one but two cards in one session? I know I do!

For my second card today, I printed one of the background papers of the Time for Tea digital collection from Nitwit Collections onto satin finish paper by Crafter's Companion (another product I've had for ages but never used until now) and I also printed an old freebie from Meljen's Design onto Neenah solar white cardstock. After colouring the image with Spectrum Noir coloured pencils, I die cut the panel using the stitched rectangle die by SugarPea Designs from the Stamp of Approval Young at Heart collection and used the scallop die from the same set to die cut a mat for my panel. I stamped a sentiment from the Holiday Treats stamp set byVerve Stamps using Archival jet black ink. I adhered my layers using my tape runner and added a touch of clear Wink of Stella to the cheeks and then added some glossy accents to the cheeks and the hearts.

I'm linking my card at:
Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop
ATSM - 186 Anything goes
Creative Card Crew - 109 CAS
Sweet Stamps - March Anything goes

Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Cup of Kitty

When I was browsing the files on my computer for some coffee or tea themed digital stamps, I came across this Time for Tea digital collection by Nitwit Collections that I purchased years ago but never got to use. Sound familiar? In addition to some lovely papers and embellishments, I also found this 'swatch', which instantly reminded me of the new sketch at CAS Colours and Sketches.

I decided to combine the swatch with a Cup of Kitty, a digi stamp that I purchased from Tiddly Inks not so long ago. To cover up the swatch number at the top, I used one of the violet flowers from the digital collection. After arranging the digital elements in Word in the bottom left corner of a Letter sized document, I placed duplicates of my kitty and violet in the bottom right corner of my document and sent this to my printer to be printed onto Neenah solar white cardstock.

I coloured my duplicate image using Spectrum Noir coloured pencils, blending the colours using odouless mineral spirits and a paper stump, and then fussy cut the image and the duplicate violet (to which I had also added a little extra colour using my coloured pencils). I mounted them onto my scored and cut card panel using foam tape. To finish off, I added a few sequins, glossy accents and clear Wink of Stella and rounded the corners of my card.

Edited to add: After reading some of the comments, I think it's only fair to add that the sentiment was already printed onto the swatch. That's why I thought this kitty in a cup would make the perfect focal point for this background.

I'm linking my card at:
Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop
CAS Colours & Sketches - Sketch 166 (see below)
Cards in Envy - Just purple
Polkadoodles Crafting challenge - 12 Cream and sugar
ABC Challenge - D is for Delicious

Birthday balloons

I have one more card to share for the new CAS Mix Up challenge that Loll and Bonnie started this month.

I started with a panel of watercoloured card from my stash of panels that I had previously dipped into some leftover distress ink (smooshing). At the time, I didn't think much of my smooshed panel, but it turned out to be the perfect backdrop for my balloons from one of the SugarPea Design stamp sets that was included in the Stamp of Approval Young at Heart collection. I inked up the stamps with distress ink and spritzed with water before stamping. I used a damp paint brush to move the colour a little or to add a little more colour . I also used my paint brush to add some splatters using the same inks. After my stamping and splatters were dry, I heat embossed the sentiment by Wplus9 in gold (Ranger) and added strings to the balloons using a black Micron pen. I adhered my panel to the front of my card base using my tape runner and rounded the corners using my corner chomper.

Challenges:

CAS Mix Up - stamping, watercolour and element of choice (splatters and heat embossing)

Creative Card Crew - 109 CAS

ATSM - 186 Anything goes

Stamplorations CAS card challenge - Anything CAS goes (optional: yellow)

Seize the Birthday - Anything birthday goes (topping: water - I used water to create my card)