Warm { caffeinated } Hugs

We all have at least one coffee lover in our family, I confess, I'm one and my sister is too, so what better way to send comforting hugs than with a bundle of coffee beans?

I started with some smooth brown cardstock, a coffee bean background stamp (details & link below), some Espresso Truffle ink and my MISTI, then gave them an inky workout.  This stamp is a new one, so it took a few inkings to get a good even coverage and it was very handing having my MISTI to repeat stamp the image perfectly.  I trimmed the image panel down to 5 3/4" square.

I die cut the letters (warm) and hugs sentiment (details & links below) several times using the same brown cardstock.  I inked one set to make the top layer of my "warm hugs" sentiment.  I layered the sentiment together to give an offset dimension and contrast then adhered them in place on the stamped panel.  Unfortunately they didn't contrast as much as I expected, so I added a delicate golden sparkle with a Wink Of Stella glitter brush, it's still subtle but much better in real life.  It sure is hard to photograph though, that glitter catches the light and sparkles.

~~~*~~~*~~~



Hope you have a
HAPPY National Coffee Day!

~~~*~~~*~~~

*** INGREDIENTS ***
Picket Fence Studios - background stamp - Give Me A Break

MISTI stamping tool
Memento ink pad - Espresso Truffle

smooth brown cardstock
heavy smooth white cardstock - card base
Sizzix Big Shot

Winnie & Walter - In A Word: Hugs Cutaway
Kaisercraft - Decorative Die - Handwritten Alphabet
Wink Of Stella - glitter brush - Clear
Helmar 450 Quick Dry adhesive - to adhere the image panel

Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Adhesive - to adhere the sentiment die cuts

~~~*~~~*~~~

I am going to enter my card in the following challenges:

~~~*~~~*~~~

Simon Says Stamp - 7th STAMPtember - Picket Fence Studios

STAMPtember - 2nd post

PLEASE refer to THIS post to learn more about
STAMPtember
with

Simon Says Stamp

ALL the projects I have shared for this amazing event can be found in HERE.
This post allows me to link a second project to the Simon Says Stamp linky,
so if you want to learn more, you will need to head on over to THIS post.

29th STAMPtember - Paper Smooches
featuring Bees dies and Birthday Words dies
some of these Paper Smooches products I have used are available
from the Simon Says Stamp store HERE

~~~*~~~*~~~

28th STAMPtember - Pretty Pink Posh
featuring Sparkling Clear Sequins
these sequins are also available from the Simon Says Stamp store HERE

~~~*~~~*~~~

24th STAMPtember - Tim Holtz

featuring Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed & Peeled Paint

Mini Ink Blending Tool and Mini Round Foam Refills

the mini Distress Inks, Mini Ink Blending Tool and Mini Round Foam Refills are also available from the Simon Says Stamp Store HERE

~~~*~~~*~~~

STAMPtember at Simon Says Stamp

STAMPtember

is an amazing month long stamping party where

Simon Says Stamp

hosts an event intended to inspire, educate and celebrate the fun of stamping,

releasing exclusive products with many of the industry’s finest brands.

While I may not have been able to create all new projects for each day, I am

sharing some projects that I have made especially for the the brand featured each day and some older projects too.

29th STAMPtember - Paper Smooches
featuring Pinked Circle dies and Birthday Words dies
some of these Paper Smooches products I have used are available
from the Simon Says Stamp store HERE

featuring Bees dies and Birthday Words dies

~~~*~~~*~~~

28th STAMPtember - Pretty Pink Posh
featuring Sparkling Clear Sequins
these sequins are also available from the Simon Says Stamp store HERE

~~~*~~~*~~~

24th STAMPtember - Tim Holtz

featuring Distress Inks - Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed & Peeled Paint

Mini Ink Blending Tool and Mini Round Foam Refills

the mini Distress Inks, Mini Ink Blending Tool and Mini Round Foam Refills are also available from the Simon Says Stamp Store HERE

featuring Alterations Tag Collection (Sizzix Framelits Dies)

and Distress Ink Tumbled Glass & Mini Ink Blending Tool

this die set is also available from the Simon Says Stamp Store HERE, the mini Distress Inks, Mini Ink Blending Tool and Mini Round Foam Refills are also available

~~~*~~~*~~~

24th STAMPtember - Altenew

featuring Peony Bouquet and Bejeweled Clear Stamp Sets

Shades of Purple Mini Ink Cube Set & Green Fields Mini Ink Cube Set inks 

this floral stamp set is also available from the Simon Says Stamp Store HERE

these ink cube sets are also available from the Simon Says Stamp Store HERE

Full details about this card can be found HERE on my original blog post

featuring Bold Alphabet Die Set

this die set is also available from the Simon Says Stamp Store HERE

THIS card is linked HERE, to my original blog post,

as I cannot make two entries from this single blog post

~~~*~~~*~~~

20th STAMPtember - Neat & Tangled

featuring Scandinavian Flowers clear stamps

Full details about this card can be found HERE on my original blog post

~~~*~~~*~~~

7th STAMPtember - Art Impressions

featuring Action Wobbles

these mechanisms are also available from the Simon Says Stamp Store HERE

Full details about this card can be found HERE on my original blog post

the turtle dances around at the slightest touch or movement of the card

~~~*~~~*~~~

7th STAMPtember - Picket Fence Studios
featuring Give Me A Break background stamp
Full details about this card can be found HERE on my original blog post

~~~*~~~*~~~

4th STAMPtember - Newton's Nook

featuring Beautiful Wings Clear Stamp Set

this stamp set is also available from the Simon Says Stamp Store HERE

Full details about this card can be found HERE on my original blog post

It's A Fair Dinkum Aussie Christmas

Yes, another eucalyptus card ...

remember, I told you that I love this image, this time it's for Christmas.

The Eucalyptus digital stamp is from Beccy's Place.

I opened the image and sentiment in Silhouette Studio, sized the image panel to 4" square, added the sentiment from the Aussie Wreath digital stamp set (also from Beccy's Place), printed on X-Press It blending card, heat set, trimmed to size then coloured with Copic markers.  The marker combinations are listed below and you might be interested in the unusual colours.  Eucalypts have fascinating strappy leaves, fabulous flowers with really cool caps and nuts.  The card base is heavy white cardstock, making a large 6 1/4" card.  I decided to use a sketch for this design (the sketch and link are below).  I cut a 6" square from white cardstock and matted it with red cardstock using my 1/16" Perfect Layers Ruler to make the base for the front of the card.  I matted the image panel the same way.  I die cut a white doily and contrasting 4" red circle, along with a red strip to make up the elements for the sketch.  The white contrasting ric rac was a "happy accident" as I was cutting some Halloween treat boxes last night with my Silhouette Cameo and the ric rac strip was part of the waste left behind.  Today, when assembling the pieces for my card, I thought the red strip looked a little stark and the white ric rac was soon adhered in place.  I used liquid adhesive to secure all the layers in place (details listed below).

At first I thought the image called for a CAS (Clean and Simple) design but the more I look at it, the more I think that this sketch works.  Our Christmas is a true contradiction, hot and summery with the eucalyptus trees in full bloom making real live Christmas Trees, mixed with the traditional fussy and fancy traditional family Christmas lunch, hot, rich with all the trimmings.

When I had finished my card, my husband came inside and handed me some nuts that had fallen from our bottlebrush tree.  He suggested that I should use them instead of sequins as a natural embellishment on my card.

   

What do you think, sequins or natural nuts?

~~~*~~~*~~~
Here are some other cards made using this beautiful image:
pink and red flowering gums

   

*** INGREDIENTS ***

Beccy's Place - digital stamp - image - Eucalyptus

Beccy's Place - digital stamp - sentiment - Aussie Wreath
X-Press It A4 Blending Card

Copic markers - branches - G21 + R12 + YR23 + E08-57
Copic markers - leaves - G21 + YG63 + G94 + BG96
Copic markers - damage to leaves - YR23 + E08-57 + BG96
Copic markers - red flowers - R14-17-27 + YR23
Copic markers - buds / caps - YG63 + G21 + R12-14
(+ Y11 over top to add a slightly brighter glossy shine)
Pretty Pink Posh - Sparkling Clear Sequins
Stickles - Stardust - to fill the hole in the sequins
Kaisercraft - weave cardstock - Crimson
Sizzix Big Shot
Kaisercraft - decorative die - Doilies
Sizzix - nesting dies - Circles
Helmar 450 Quick Dry adhesive - to adhere the layers

Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Adhesive - to adhere the ric rac & sequins

~~~*~~~*~~~

Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog - Challenge #236 – Anything Goes + A Sentiment

Beccy's Place - September Challenge – Anything Beccy’s Place Goes optional theme – Colour

Cheerful Sketches Challenge Blog - September Sketch

Colour Crazy Challenge - Week 37 – Anything Goes

Crafting By Designs - September Anything Goes
Crafting With An Attitude - Challenge #55 – Anything Goes
Crafty Calendar Challenge - September Challenge – Add Lots Of Layers

Crafty Catz - Challenge #476 – Anything Goes – no twist

Crafty Friends Challenge Blog - Challenge 119 – Special Occasion
Creatalicious Challenges - Challenge #171 – Anything Goes optional circles
Creative Fingers Challenge Blog - Challenge #171 – Anything Goes
Die Cut Divas Challenge Blog - September Challenge – Free Fun Time
What do you do with yours?  Our fun time is spent with family, especially
at Christmas when everyone makes an extra effort to be together
Digi Choosday Craft Challenge - Wk39 – Anything Goes
Get Creative Challenges - Challenge #84 – Anything Goes, No Twist
Imagine That Digistamp - Creative Playground Challenge #9 – Anything Goes
Polkadoodles Craft Challenge - Wk38 – Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog - Simon Says: Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp – Work It Wednesday - Work It Wednesday – August / September 2019 – Celebrate
The 12 Months Of Christmas Link Up - Challenge #57 – Anything Goes optional twist: Kraft Paper

The Corrosive Challenge Blog - Challenge #9 – Anything Goes
Through The Craft Room Door - TTCRD Anything Goes 24th Sep
Tuesday Throwdown - Challenge #442 – Anything Goes

Cheery Red Eucalyptus Birthday Wishes

You may have seen my earlier post where I shared these two cards



for the new challenge
Penny's Challenge 449
on

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog

As always, the challenge is Anything Goes.

This post is to share my red eucalyptus card.
You can read all about the pink eucalyptus card HERE.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Today I have used the Eucalyptus digital stamp from Beccy's Place, one of our generous sponsors for this challenge.  I opened the image and sentiment in Silhouette Studio, sized the image panel to 4" square and the sentiment panel to 1 1/2" square, printed on X-Press It blending card, heat set, trimmed to size then coloured with Copic markers.  The marker combinations are listed below and you might be interested in the unusual combination used for the leaves.  I made the card bases by scoring and folding heavy A4 white cardstock.  I adhered a burlap panel to the card fronts using liquid adhesive.  I used Coral cardstock to mat each panel, making them 1/8" larger and adhered in place (details of liquid adhesives used listed below).

I have to confess that I did some homework before colouring this image.  I started by searching our local streets for flowering gums in bloom.  I was really lucky to find a red one, as they don't usually flower until December here.  Next came a refresher in these magnificent trees.  Eucalypts are almost a defining feature of the Australian landscape and are notable for their oil, colourful fluffy flowers, seed pods (gum nuts) and ornate bark.  Here is an interesting read if you would like to learn more.  The key elements for this image are the leaves and flowers.  The flowers do not have petals, they're actually a cluster of fluffy stamens.  The buds are made up of the cap (operculum) and base, the cap is pushed off, the stamens burst out to give their signature flower and the base becomes the fruit, eventually dries, releases seeds and becomes the iconic gumnut.  ... lecture over ... hope you found it interesting, it is fascinating to me.

   

on a side note, I got see some feathered rainbows today too

Rainbow Lorikeets

   

Eastern Rosella

~~~*~~~*~~~

NOW it's YOUR turn!

I hope that I have inspired you to get creative
and look forward to seeing your projects fill the gallery for
Penny's Challenge 449
on the
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog

~~~*~~~*~~~

*** INGREDIENTS ***
Beccy's Place - digital stamp - Eucalyptus

X-Press It A4 Blending Card

Copic markers - leaves & branches - G21 + YG63 + G94 + BG96
Copic markers - damage to leaves - YR23 + E08-57 + BG96
Copic markers - red flowers - R14-17-27 + YR23
Copic markers - red flower caps - YG61 + G21 + R-12-14
(+ Y11 over top to add a slightly brighter green accent)
dark burlap ribbon
Kaisercraft - weave cardstock - Coral
Helmar 450 Quick Dry adhesive - to adhere the layers

Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Adhesive - to adhere the burlap panel

~~~*~~~*~~~

Sending a big Thank You to Beccy's Place for supplying the digital stamp I used today and for being a sponsor for Challenge 449 on Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog.

    

~~~*~~~*~~~

I am going to enter my card in the following challenges:

~~~*~~~*~~~

Beccy's Place - September Challenge – Anything Beccy’s Place Goes
optional theme – Colour

A Perfect Time To Craft - September Challenge #9 – Anything Goes
Allsorts Challenge Blog - Week 538 – Anything Goes
optional twist: Trees / Leaves
Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog - Challenge #236 – Anything Goes
+ A Sentiment
Colour Crazy Challenge - Week 36 – Anything Goes
Colouring In Scrapland - September Challenge – Anything Goes
option Teepee Card
Double “D” Challenges - Focus on the Sentiment
Get Creative Challenges - Challenge #84 – Anything Goes, No Twist
{PIN}spirational Challenges - photo inspiration

Polkadoodles Craft Challenge - Wk38 – Anything Goes

Eucalypts from Beccy's for Penny's

It's time for a new challenge with us on the

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog

Penny's Challenge 449

As always, the challenge is Anything Goes.

~~~*~~~*~~~

The sponsors for this challenge are:

Patties Creations

Beccy's Place

~~~*~~~*~~~

Today I have used the Eucalyptus digital stamp from Beccy's Place, one of our generous sponsors for this challenge, to make some birthday cards.  Before you read on, I just HAVE to say that I LOVE this image and know I will be using it again soon ... flowering gums come in lots of colours!

I opened the image and sentiment in Silhouette Studio, sized the image panel to 4" square and the sentiment panel to 1 1/2" square, printed on X-Press It blending card, heat set, trimmed to size then coloured with Copic markers.  One image panel is coloured with pink flowers and the other coloured with red flowers.  The marker combinations are listed below and you might be interested in the unusual combination used for the leaves.  I made the card bases by scoring and folding heavy A4 white cardstock.  I cut two lengths of dark burlap ribbon (sadly the last of my natural burlap was too short to use) and adhered to the card fronts using liquid adhesive.  I cut contrasting mats for each panel using Lipstick and Coral cardstock, making them 1/8" larger and adhered in place (details of liquid adhesives used listed below).

~~~*~~~ warning - lots of photos ahead ~~~*~~~

Here is my pink flowering gum.

Here is my red flowering gum.

I have to confess that I did some homework before colouring this image.  I started by searching our local streets for flowering gums in bloom.  I was really lucky to find a red one, as they don't usually flower until December here.  Next came a refresher in these magnificent trees.  Eucalypts are almost a defining feature of the Australian landscape and are notable for their oil, colourful fluffy flowers, seed pods (gum nuts) and ornate bark.  Here is an interesting read if you would like to learn more.  The key elements for this image are the leaves and flowers.  The flowers do not have petals, they're actually a cluster of fluffy stamens.  The buds are made up of the cap (operculum) and base, the cap is pushed off, the stamens burst out to give their signature flower and the base becomes the fruit, eventually dries, releases seeds and becomes the iconic gumnut.  ... lecture over ... hope you found it interesting, it is fascinating to me.

   

   

on a side note, I got see some feathered rainbows today too

Rainbow Lorikeets

   

Eastern Rosella

~~~*~~~*~~~

NOW it's YOUR turn!

I hope that I have inspired you to get creative
and look forward to seeing your projects fill the gallery for
Penny's Challenge 449
on the
Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog

~~~*~~~*~~~

*** INGREDIENTS ***
Beccy's Place - digital stamp - Eucalyptus

X-Press It A4 Blending Card

Copic markers - leaves & branches - G21 + YG63 + G94 + BG96
Copic markers - damage to leaves - YR23 + E08-57 + BG96
Copic markers - red flowers - R14-17-27 + YR23
Copic markers - red flower caps - YG61 + G21 + R-12-14
(+ Y11 over top to add a slightly brighter green accent)
Copic markers - pink flowers - RV13-14 + YR23
Copic markers - pink flower caps - Y11 + YG11 + G21 + RV11-13
(+ YG61 over top to blend out the brightness of the green)
dark burlap ribbon
Kaisercraft - weave cardstock - Lipstick
Kaisercraft - weave cardstock - Coral
Helmar 450 Quick Dry adhesive - to adhere the layers

Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Adhesive - to adhere the burlap panels

~~~*~~~*~~~

Sending a big Thank You to Beccy's Place for supplying the digital stamp I used today and for being a sponsor for Challenge 449 on Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog.

    

~~~*~~~*~~~

I am going to enter my card in the following challenges:

~~~*~~~*~~~

Beccy's Place - September Challenge – Anything Beccy’s Place Goes
optional theme – Colour

A Perfect Time To Craft - September Challenge #9 – Anything Goes
Addicted To Stamps Challenge - Challenge #177 – For A Lady / Girl
Allsorts Challenge Blog - Week 538 – Anything Goes
optional twist: Trees / Leaves
Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog - Challenge #236 – Anything Goes
+ A Sentiment
Colour Crazy Challenge - Week 36 – Anything Goes
Crafty Calendar Challenge - September Challenge – Add Lots Of Layers
Crafty Catz - Challenge #475 – Anything Goes – optional twist Thank You
Crafty Friends Challenge Blog - Challenge 119 – Special Occasion
Creatalicious Challenges - Challenge #171 – Anything Goes optional circles
Digi Choosday Craft Challenge - Wk38 – Anything Goes
Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - Happy Birthday
Through The Craft Room Door - TTCRD Anything Goes 24th Sep
Worldwide Open Design Team Challenge - Challenge #09 – 15th Sep
– Anything Goes