A Latte Thanks

Today's featured card showcases another love of mine:  Coffee!  Not only do I love to drink it, but I am also slightly obsessed with coffee-themed stamps and dies.  This is from a Simon Says Stamp set which was offered in one of their monthly card kits.  The plaid pattern paper inspired the colors, and I found the perfect blue marker to color the mug.  I also added little pops of bright red with the heart and the layering paper, and set it all against a background made with my wood grain embossing folder.

After embossing the brown paper background, I used a sponging tool to dust the raised areas with a bit of brown ink.  This really accentuates the texture and adds a "rugged" finish that I like a lot.  I also dusted the edges of the cream card stock with the same brown to tie things together and contribute to the "casual" look of the design.  Tinting the edges of your pieces is such a simple and effective way to decorate your designs!  I just need to remember to do it..... ;-)

The finishing touch was to add a layer of Glossy Accents to the little red heart.  I just used a toothpick to nudge it into the point of the heart, and then set it aside to dry for a good long time.  The end result looks as though I added an enamel sticker to the mug.  So cute!

Supplies Used:

• Simon Says Stamp What's Brewing stamp set
• Glossy Accents

Late June Check-In

Hello friends!  I am just getting over another illness (4 days of high fevers - yuck!) but am finally feeling more like myself.  We are still waiting for the final step on our home sale, but have a current closing date of July 6th.  It's a shame that it crosses over the big holiday, but we've waited so many months that I really don't want any more delays.

I have been packing up my glass studio as my health (and the heat) permits, but that is a really big and time consuming job.  I also discovered I need some MUCH stronger tape - the heat is softening the adhesive and it's peeling away from the boxes!  I can't afford to have the tape fail and lose my precious glass, so I need to address that.  My paper craft supplies are still boxed up and in storage, which means I haven't been able to create for many weeks now.  It makes me sad to think about it, but I'm trying to remind myself that our long wait is almost over.

With my birthday a few weeks back, I was able to order a bunch of new stuff from MFT (My Favorite Things) from their June 2016 Release.  I will be diving in to those products as soon as I'm set up in the new house, and will share a project or two after that.  My eventual goal is to set up my camera and shoot some videos of my crafts, but we will see how that goes.  One step at a time!

I'm excited to share a new product that I discovered:  the Spectrum Noir Sparkle Glitter Brush Pens!

 I purchased the 3-pack of the Clear Overlay markers, which are similar to the Wink of Stella markers.  I had a WoS in Clear, and used it all over the place until it dried up.  I tried the "trick" of adding water to revive it and continue using it, but that didn't work too well for me.  I was hesitating to buy a replacement for quite a while, but then I discovered the Spectrum pens and I am hooked!  The sparkle is intense, consistent, and absolutely colorless - just a bright icy sparkle.  Some sparkly products have a blue tone, or silver, or even gold - but not these.  I can't recommend them enough for adding touches of sparkle to your designs :-)  They do come in many gorgeous colors as well, and if you'd like to see a fun video of them in use, please check out AmyR's YouTube video at her PrairiePaper&Ink channel.  She's awesome!!

Have a fun day!