This GIRL runs on Coffee!!

OK... my life revolves around coffee... at least in the early morning... with me? Used to be an all day thing but, the doctor cut me to 4 cups (that's dietician cups/measuring cups) a day.

So... when Verve released this coffee die... how could I resist?

 TOO MUCH FUN... The Coffee die was cut three times and layered for dimension. Used the Verve inspiration pic and Viva la Verve sketch from week #3....

 

 The sketch...

I used the colors and the images from Peaceful Medallions reminded me of the sunflowers. The sentiment {dear to my heart} is from Verve's Coffee.

Also playing in the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge... Anything Goes!

AND playing in the coffee lovers blog hop!! Can't believe I almost missed this.... have been hiding under a rock or work or ......

I am known for loving my coffee... interesting fact... I like it black with cream-real cream!! Over the years so many people have bought me the fancy flavored coffees (sweet thought every time) without realizing that it's the fairly "straight up" stuff I like. My fav is Starbucks- the really strong ones, Verona and Sumatra- every day of the week- first thing in the morning is to start the coffee maker so it's ready before I walk out the door. One year I splurged on Blue Mountain coffee- not sure if it's around now or not for my Christmas stocking and it was very smooth but, not very strong.

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

RC Color Challenge- Hoppy Birthday!!

I have had this sweet Bebe Bunny from Reverse Confetti's Quirky Cuties line for a while so, when I saw this month's RC color challenge I decided they were perfect colors!!

 Isn't she sweet!! I also played with the new Tagged Tote Confetti Cuts.. stamped with versamark using the RC Whole Lotta Dots set. This little tote is perfect to add a gift card or jewelry or just a little sumthin' sumthin'!!

The colors...

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CTD 311- Happy Birthday!!

Happy Hump Day!! I love Wednesdays....Barbara is bringing us the colors this week and they're sweet!!

Here's my card....

Playing with stencils on this one!! The butterflies were sponged using a Heidi Swapp stencil and then added some modeling paste using Simon Says Stamp Falling Snow stencil. Sentiment is from WPlus9's Strictly Sentiments 5. Added some sequins for a little bling.

Our Guest Designer this month... the wonderful Lise Henke from My Little Creative Escape!!

Karren Johnson is our Guest Star Stamper this week  - Stamping Stuff

Don't forget to visit the other CTD DT blogs for more inspiration.

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud
 Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Monika Davis- MAD Stamper

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy

 Jodi Collins- Stampin a Latte
 

Remember, if you don't have the exact colors, use whatever you have that's close...this is all about having fun!  AND... remember "neutrals" are free! If you upload to a public gallery, please use the key words CTD311.  Also, when linking up your card using the linky tool at the bottom of the post, please link to your specific post, not a generic link to your blog.  

When you are finished with your creation, head over to the Color Throwdown blog to add your entry to the Inlinkz tool.

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge... stamps/stencils... playing along "in a simple way"

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Fusion Challenge.... Come Away With Me!!

Played in the Fusion Challenge- I think it's my first time... Lord, somedays my memory doesn't work so well, LOL!!

Started out thinking I was going to use the car from the Reverse Confetti set, Here We Go... and then, I started sponging clouds... the next thing I knew I was dreaming about faraway places...

 So, I went with the sketch and substituted the car for an airplane.

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Good Things!!

Well, now that we are starting to cool off and I am not out on the boat as much...there's a little more time for stamping!!

Wanted to play in the Verve Sweet Treats challenge using some of my new goodies.

 The papers are Echo Park Splendid. I created those sweet cupcakes using the Cupcake set, added a banner with the  Award Banner Trim die. The sentiment is from Small Packages.

Used the week 2 Viva la Verve sketch.

 Also entering the Show Us Your Verve challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Congrats!!

I was in the mood to play with paper and "ditties" so, I picked up MME's "Sky's The Limit". Used this week's Retrosketch and Curtain Call's inspiration pic.

The sketch...

 It's there but, I fussied it up a bit...

The inspiration....

Used the colors (in deeper tones), flowers, the idea of Wishing Well... congrats... sky's the limit...

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Color Throwdown #310

Good Morning!! Welcome to this week's Color Throwdown. Wanda picked the colors this week and I went a little retro  :)

 Those flowers are fabulous... I think she made them???

Here's my card....

 Playing with some stamps and dies from the recent Verve release!! AND I am a coffee fanatic... so this Coffee set was perfect!! Surprised I didn't find a way to sneak in the new Coffee die.... honestly I pondered on it!! Do you know how many times I get in the elevator with folks who work in our building... and I yawn...or someone else does.... immediate response... "time for a cup of coffee"

Our Guest Designer this month... the wonderful Lise Henke from My Little Creative Escape!!

And the featured Stamper this week is Joanne... you can find her blog here!

Don't forget to visit the other CTD DT blogs for more inspiration.

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud
 Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Monika Davis- MAD Stamper

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy

 Jodi Collins- Stampin a Latte
 

Remember, if you don't have the exact colors, use whatever you have that's close...this is all about having fun!  AND... remember "neutrals" are free! If you upload to a public gallery, please use the key words CTD310.  Also, when linking up your card using the linky tool at the bottom of the post, please link to your specific post, not a generic link to your blog.  

When you are finished with your creation, head over to the Color Throwdown blog to add your entry to the Inlinkz tool.

I played in the Verve Diva Dare... Terrific Trios and used the Viva La Verve week 1 sketch (hoping the Verve police won't throw me out- when I was all done I realized- a little late- there was supposed to be a bow)

 Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Serendipity Stamps Challenge - Summer's Last Hurrah!!

Hey, glad you stopped by!! Today is the second installment for this month's Serendipity Stamps Challenge... Summer's Last Hurrah!!


I'm so happy to squeeze out another summer card....
This year Mary is giving the DT an "extra" challenge- this week we were asked to use a personal photo as inspiration...

 I chose this picture of some of the seashells we have  collected in the Gulf of Mexico. My parents spent the winter in Naples, FL for years and dad had a large boat.... we even did some fishing in the gulf... 26 miles out, if the weather was good... but, we always went on day trips "shelling"!!

The whelk in the picture is pretty faded from the ocean- I do have some with fabulous color.  So, I chose this fabulous shell image from Serendipity Stamps  Whelk Shell.  It was stamped in a tropical color-layered with crumbcake.... do you feel the sand squishing between your toes?! Added the die cut sentiment Imagine. Love to layer these sentiments in complimentary colors!! The background border is  the border frame from Floral Frames.

AND... the lovely Bridget Finlay is our Guest Designer for Sept -Thrilled to have you joining us!! Click on the link to enjoy Bridget's fabulous creations!

Hoping you'll play... there are prizes :)

The rules are simple... play along using at least one Serendipity Stamps image on your submission and the theme of Summer's Last Hurrah. You don't have to have a blog to play along - you can link your designs to any on line gallery.

Click Here for all the details

For extra inspiration there are samples from the design team on the challenge blog or you can visit them directly and get all the details by clicking on their names below.

Karen Amidon
Jeanne Jachna

Marybeth Lopez

Jenny Gropp 

Julie Warner 

 Miriam Napier

This week's deal- Free Shipping on all US orders over $15

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Waltzingmouse Stamps PJ Party- Celebrate!!

Here's my last card for the Waltzingmouse Stamps PJ Party!!

 This is the card I made for the Bedtime Story sketch challenge.

 Sentiment is from Walzingmouse Stamps Say It Loud and the frame is from Frame It, and the little "xo" is from Festive Foilage.

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Waltzingmouse Stamps PJ Party!!

I'm thrilled the Waltzingmouse PJ parties are back!!

There are 4 challenges... I managed to do three. This challenge was to "dust off" your old Christmas images and make a card. I have to admit this image isn't "too old" and I do have some older images but...... I bought the dies for the lamp set and never got to use them... so "old enough"?

I'll be back later with the final card I was able to get done.

I used this week's Freshly Made Sketch for the layout.

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Waltzingmouse PJ party!

Another card for the Waltzingmouse Stamps PJ Party!!

 The challenge was to make a sweet treat for the "wee folks" as Clare would say....

My wee folks are teenagers and love a little bling..

 My witchie tag is a little tilted but, that's life... the recipient will enjoy the outside but, is more interested in the inside :) A little "bling" for the sophomore!!

I used images from Halloween Party and the fairly new Halloween Party dies... IN LOVE with all the new dies that Clare has come out with!! It's hard to tell in the picture but, on the purple deckled panel I used a star stencil and gold modeling paste... perfect touch IRL... covered with a deckled vellum panel.

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

HEY FOXY!!

Ummm- playing with some Glitz Design Carpe Diem goodies... paper, giant rhinestones, and Puffy Words.

 Added a little spritzing with Heidi Swapp Pink mist. The layout was from a recent Freshly Made Sketch but, missed the deadline.

Joining ns Moxie Fab Worlds... Foxy Challenge!

Hope you're having a great WE!!

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Serendipity Stamps Blog Hop!!

Happy, Happy Friday!! Welcome to the second of a few Serendipity Stamps Blog Hops featuring some of the new stamps and dies at Serendipity Stamps. These stamps and dies are available now for purchase... the DT are hopping today to provide a little inspiration.

Today is all about Fall!!

You should have arrived here from Miriam's blog but, if you happened along or got lost along the way, go to Mary's blog to start the hop or see the link list below.

I have a couple cards for you today using the new goodies. My sweet friend Marybeth and fellow DT member made this card a while back and the gold embossing with fall colors "stuck in my mind" when I worked on these cards!!

For this card I played with Leaf Pops and Leaf Pops Dies. IN LOVE!!! The leaves were die cut, heat embossed with gold after stamping with versamark and colored with Derwent Inktense pencils. This was my first try at coloring with pencils... need a little more practice :) The sentiment,  Autumn was colored with complimentary markers and stamped onto a white panel. 

For this card I used one image from Leaf Pops Negative, stamped with versamark and heat embossed with gold. Then using Distress Inks ( fired brick and rusty hinge) I sponged the whole card. The added texture is from using TH watercolor cardstock. Serendipity's Thinking Of You sentiment was heat embossed with gold onto a piece of vellum... wanted that background to shine :)

I have to say I used just a couple images and one die from these... you need to check out the links... there is so many ways the images/dies can be used!!

OH... there are always prizes!! One random commenter will receive a $20 gift certificate off your next order.  You have until midnight US EST 9-14 (Sunday)  to leave a comment.  The winner will be posted on Mary's blog on .Monday, Sept 15.

For a second way to win, LIKE us and SHARE on Facebook.  Here's a link to the SS Facebook Page.  

The next stop on the hop is Jeanne... enjoy!!

 Here's the full link list

Mary's Blog

Jenny Gropp

Julie Warner

Karen Amidon

Marybeth Lopez

Miriam Napier

Vickie Zimmer

Jeanne Jachna

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!

Color Throwdown #309- Thanks a Bunch!!

 Good Morning!! I am the "hostest with the mostest" this week for the Color Throwdown Challenge.

 Isn't that a fabulous quilt!!

Did you notice the color names are gone? Check out the ColorThrowdown Challenge blog for the deets!!

Here's my card....

Not the best pic... sorry... this frustrates me BUT, generally speaking I do not have the ability to take pictures in natural light :(

 I played with a Reverse Confetti's Petals 'n Posies and a few RC dies to make my card. After the images were stamped I die cut with the coordinating Petals 'n Posies Confetti Cuts. The square panels were created with Love Note and Chevron Pretty Panels Confetti Cuts. Stop by Reverse Confetti to do a little shopping :)

Here's a pic showing all the dimension created using foam dots.... love me some dimension!!

We have a new Guest Designer this month... the wonderful Lise Henke from My Little Creative Escape... welcome and thrilled to have you playing along!!


Don't forget to visit the other CTD DT blogs for more inspiration.

Barbara Anders - Paper Pursuits

Broni Holcombe - Splashes of Watercolor

Joan Ervin - Stamping With Passion

Lori Tecler - Inking Aloud
 Wanda Cullen - Cullen-ary Creations

Monika Davis- MAD Stamper

Tammy Hershberger - Stamp Happy

 Jodi Collins- Stampin a Latte
 

Remember, if you don't have the exact colors, use whatever you have that's close...this is all about having fun!  AND... remember "neutrals" are free! If you upload to a public gallery, please use the key words CTD309.  Also, when linking up your card using the linky tool at the bottom of the post, please link to your specific post, not a generic link to your blog.  

When you are finished with your creation, head over to the Color Throwdown blog to add your entry to the Inlinkz tool.

The layout is this month's SFYTT challenge at Reverse Confetti.

Thanks for stopping by!! Love when you do and appreciate all the kind words!!