A Perfect Blend for Freshly Made Sketches

I had a very busy weekend which ended in an 11 hour drive north to visit my daughter. I have to say that I lost some sleep along the way, with so many last minute preparations in order to be able to leave for a week. So... if I was a coffee drinker, I would have been consuming gallons of the stuff. Living in the region just north of the Pacific Northwest, the home of Starbucks, I really liked the Perfect Blend Stamp Set and I'm sad to see it retire June 2. It's a replica of a Starbucks' take out cup minus the logo. So I had to give it once last salute in a card to be entered in Freshly Made Sketches Challenge #185!  Here's the sketch:

I went with rainforest, Starbuck's and coffee colours in my palette: Mossy Meadow, Whisper White and Early Espresso.

• I stamped the coffee cup three times so I could do a little paper piecing. I stamped it in Early Espresso ink on Whisper White cardstock and again on some Mossy Meadow polka dotted paper from the 2014 - 16 In Colour Designer Series Paper Stack and finally, in Mossy Meadow in on Whisper White. I cut out the sleeve from the green polka dotted paper and glued it on the main image and I cut out the lid from the Mossy Meadow stamped image and pieced it on the lid of the main image. I snipped the main image with my Paper Snips and popped it up on Stampin' Dimensionals on the sentiment panel.
• The background DSP is from Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper. I was going for the rainforest look here. Painted Blooms DSP retires June 2.
• The banners are cut from Early Espresso cardstock and another Mossy Meadow pattern from the 2014 - 16 In Colour Designer Series Paper Stack. All the Designer Series Paper Stacks are retiring June 2, but not to worry - they are being replaced with the same thing but some awesome new designs.
• Don't you love how the sentiment "shakes" from all the caffeine? If you love this stamp set, too, but haven't sprung for it yet, now would be a good time before it disappears forever!

Stamping for Nepal

I just wanted to update you on my fundraising event to help the relief effort in Nepal. Through the Silent Auction of card collections and home decor, I was able to raise $110 for Nepal. I hope some other crafters were able to do something as well, but I'm glad I made the effort. I have already donated the proceeds to The Red Cross Nepal fund and this is the receipt:

Thanks to everyone who participated!  #StampingforNepal

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the Stampin' Up! products used to make this card today!

Product List

*Perfect Blend Wood Stamp Set [130745]	*Perfect Blend Clear Stamp Set [131392]	*Painted Blooms Designer Series Paper [137784]	*2014-2016 In Color Backgrounds Designer Series Paper Stack [133705]	Mossy Meadow 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [133676]
Early Espresso 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [119686]	Whisper White 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [100730]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974]	Mossy Meadow Classic Stampin' Pad [133645]	Paper Snips Scissors [103579]
Stampin' Trimmer [126889]	Liquid Multipurpose Glue [110755]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

*Retiring product June 2, 2015

Perfect Blend for Mojo Monday

I have a thing about coffee.  I've never liked it because it was so bitter. And for years, I've done fine without it, other than those awkwards moments when someone has just poured me a cup without asking and I've had to tell them that I don't drink it.  My hubby didn't drink it for years either, for different reasons.  Then we got one of those single serve coffee machines.  My hubby started enjoying a cup every once in a while.  One morning, while he was inhaling the aroma of a cup of java, I told him that I could really use the caffeine in that mug, as I was slow getting started that day.  He convinced me to try it again and.... I actually really enjoyed it.  Well, truthfully, it was okay!  And I was so productive that day that I was sold!  You never know. Sometimes you can teach an old dog new tricks!!

Two things inspired this card:  One was the sketch from this week's Mojo Monday sketch.

Are you thinking that this card doesn't really line up with the sketch very much?  Well, let me just tell you that the other thing that inspired the card was a post on Julie Davison's blog on Slider Cards. I've always wanted to try that technique.  So with that in mind, take a look at the second photo:

• Do you see it now?  I've been dying to use the stamp set Perfect Blend for a number of months now, but it never seemed like the right time until yesterday.
• Of course, Early Espresso HAD to form the card base.  I added some of the new Typeset Specialty DSP to the base.  I love that collection, and especially the light weight of it.  In fact, I pulled out a sheet and cut it into the size I needed before I realized that I had pulled and cut TWO sheets.  Oops!
• The other colours I used are from the Regals collection, Crushed Curry and Cajun Craze, as well as Very Vanilla for stamping on.  I used some of the Regals Designer Series Paper Stack for the lids and coffee cosies on the coffee cups.  I paper pieced them by stamping the same coffee cup on the Designer Paper and cutting out the little pieces and gluing them to the stamped coffee containers.
• I won't go into how I made the slider work because this is a card we will be making at my Technique Night classes in July and I don't want to reveal my secrets!  Hahahaha! (Anyway, you can just follow the link to Julie's Blog to find out.)     
• I think a variation that I might do another time would be to put a Starbuck's card on the inside panel where the third coffee cup is right now.  It would make a perfect little gift for a friend!

Do you enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning?  Or, like me, could you take it or leave it?  Let me know in the comments below!

  

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today!            

  Product List

Perfect Blend Clear-mount Stamp Set [131392]	Perfect Blend Wood-mount Stamp Set [130745]	Typeset Specialty Designer Series Paper [133704]	Regals Designer Series Paper Stack [130139]	Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stack [130132]
Early Espresso 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [119686]	Very Vanilla 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [101650]	Crushed Curry 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [131199]	Cajun Craze 8-1/2X11 Card Stock [119684]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974]
Early Espresso Stampin Write Marker [119680]	Regals Stampin' Write Markers [131262]	Regals Candy Dots [130932]	Neutrals Candy Dots [130934]	Circles Collection Framelits Dies [130911]
Stampin' Trimmer [126889]	Big Shot Die-Cut Machine [113439]	Paper Snips [103579]