When a card just doesn't turn out the way you wanted it to.

 Sometimes, you get an idea in your head, or you get some inspiration from something you've heard or seen. This happened to me recently. I saw an awesome card with some really nice ink blending and thought, oh, I want to make a card like that, but with a different theme. I went searching on the internet for the dies to use because I didn't have them in my stash. I don't have a lot of slim line card dies mainly because my little cuttlebug doesn't have an extended selection of plates. I googled it and my cuddlebug is actually stopped production from Cricket, so they are not going to make extended plates for something they are not producing any more.

Well, I found the dies I wanted, and I read that if you have two cuttlebug plate sets (which I so happen to have) then you can cut larger dies with them. I waited for the mail to come in and today was my Happy mail day where I got the die set. I thought about autumn colors and selected a yellow, orange, red and green distress oxide. I then used my cuttlebug to cut out the framed dies Id purchased on some new white shimmer cardstock. I adhered it all together, letting it dry. I then went about ink blending the whole panel.

I've decided that this shimmer cardstock, you have to be careful ink blending because it really shows where the most ink has been applied. I finished the panel and then stamped my images. The card disn't turn out the way I wanted it to, but I'd learned a lesson, sometimes you just need to practice and learn from your mistakes and maybe the next the next time it will work out beautifully.

Here's the card that I made, and you can see where the ink hasn't blended smoothly and I have some dark spots that I'm not sure how they got there. I'm going to keep practicing though and hopefully I'll make a card like the one I saw.

Coffee Date Soon?

There's a coffee challenge going on at Clean and Simple on Sunday Blog for all those Clean and Simple  card designers like me.

The winner will get to be the card designer for Issue 219.

This is the Card That I created

I took a stencil from Erin Lee Creative and ink blended Distress inks in gathered twig, ground espresso and carved pumpkin on a piece of mixed media paper from Canson. I added a layer of brown cardstock from Michaels craft store and attached that to a 6.5" by 5" piece of precut white cardstock.  I added the sentiment in ground espresso to the card and there you have it, easy card to make.

It's a clean and simple card and I hope it fits all the rules from the blog post.

Happy Crafting!

Carole

Fall/ Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop 2021

 One of my secret or not so secret joys in life is coffee, and when I make cards for my business I also enjoy just playing and making coffee themed cards as well. I'll be posting my cards on my Instagram page as I load them up for the following Blog Hop.

Mark your Calendars for Friday November 12th-Friday November 19th, 2021

I strongly suggest that if you're a card maker like me and you like to make Coffee/Tea/Hot Cocoa or Hot apple cider themed cards you check out the blog at Coffee  Loving Cardmakers. The rules are posted there and on their Facebook page.

I plan to make at least one card per day of the Blog Hop and I love to comment on cards that have been entered for several reasons:

• I look at the inspiration
• It feels good to post a kind comment on someone's Blog or Instagram or Pinterest pages
• It may make someone smile that I've commented on their card
• It enters me into a secondary commenters prize
• I love how people have taken the time and made the effort to make their cards, at all levels of experience
• most of all I love the celebration of all things Coffee related!

This was the first Blog Hop that I ever discovered and it's definitely my favorite. In fact I created this Blog in part just so that I could participate and post to this Blog Hop.

Hope you're having a great day and Happy Crafting!

Carole

National Coffee Day Week 2021 Part 2

 I mentioned in my previous post that I participated in this years National Coffee Day/ Week activities over on the Coffee Loving Papercrafters Facebook page for the first time ever. Now I participate in the Blog Hop as you can see from my previous posts. I've been very lucky and fortunate to win prizes from the randomly selected cards that are uploaded. In another post I'll let you know all about the fall & winter Blog Hop as it's almost that time of year again.

What I want to share with you today is that I won another $20.00 gift certificate to a store I hadn't shopped with before called Stamplorations.

I was so impressed with their selection of coffee themed items that I went a little overboard on my shopping, but they had a great discount and it was well worth the exchange rate from American to Canadian dollars. This is what I bought:

These are slimline stencils that I bought. The discount was that if you buy 4 you get 1 free. I also got that die free with my order because it was over a certain dollar value.

You can see I couldn't fit all this crafty goodness in one picture. I bought the top stamp and the middle stamp but got the far right and far left ones for free because my order was over a certain dollar value.

I've checked out these stamps and they look to be well made and I know Shery makes the stencils herself. 

If you are looking for some well made stamps and want to support a small family owned business, I highly recommend checking out Stamplorations. 

I want to Thank the crew at Coffee Loving Papercrafters and Stamplorations for the amazing prize. I've found a new store that I'll shop at again.

Happy Crafting!

Carole

National Coffee Day/Week

On September 29th, 2021 over on the Coffee Loving Papercrafters Facebook group, they hosted a weeks worth of Coffee loving inspiration. For this years blog hop, instead of making cards, we were encouraged to check out the blogs of the Sponsors who put together a plethora of coffee loving cards and crafts.

National Coffee Day

I won a $20.00 gift Certificate from #Pawsome Stamps.

With a little shopping added this is what I ordered:

These Stamps are very good quality, and they stamp nice, clear and crisp. I'm looking forward to creating some cards with these stamps, maybe even my first Halloween themed cards with the spooky cupcakes! 

 

It's that time of year again, when all us crazy coffee loving card makers come out and celebrate our favourite beverage. To find out more info about the bloghop, head on over to COFFEELOVINGCARDMAKERS.COM  or join the facebook group Coffee Loving Papercrafters.

Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog hop

 

It's that time of year again and I've been storing up ideas for this Blog Hop. Check out my instagram page for all the cards I'll be making.