Cup Of Tea

Hello Crafty Friends!

It's Inspiration Time over at STAMPlorations ... and what a special mile stone one it is ... it's their 200th Inspiration Post.

If that isn't worth celebrating, then I don't know what is. To mark the occasion, Shery will randomly draw one winner of a $20 coupon code from all the comments left on the STAMPlorations Blog and the Inspiration Team Designers' blogs.

I am certainly celebrating with a good brew and a good read hence my bookmark showcasing a set designed by Becca Cruger called Literary Caffeine-ations which I combined with stamps from the Mixed Media Grunge and Scribbly Splattery Grunge sets plus dies from the Tag O'Coffee and the Tags #1 Nesting Dies. Here it is, my DT piece ...

As you can see the colour scheme was somewhat inspired by the tea's colour, especially as I like mine dark with either no or very little milk depending on type. I used the red and white to liven it up with a couple of green sequins.

I went for grungy stamping which I added to the patterned paper tag, added an embossed sentiment, some die-cuts and finished off with white doodles.

My bookmark will be entered at:

Craft Stamper Take It Make It January - Anything Goes

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes, optional twist of watercolour (sorry didn't play it)
Crafter's Castle - Anything Goes, optional twist of fun technique (heat embossing for the sentiment)
Sisterhood Of Snarky Stampers - B is for Books

I am keeping it short and sweet today. For more inspiration and to comment on all the blog, pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog where you can find all the links and, of course, admire the fabulous pieces my teamies created..

Enjoy your day!
hugs
Monika xxx

here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop:
Literary Caffeine-ations, Mixed Media Grunge, Scribbly Splattery Grunge
  

Tag O'Coffee, Tags #1 Nesting Dies
 

for a 20% discount on their stamps, dies and stencils, feel free to use my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA at checkout.

Read & Be Happy

Hello Crafty Friends!

It's Inspiration Time over at STAMPlorations. This week my teamies and I are showcasing stamps by Becca under her label 'Big Grins By Becca Cruger'.

I decided to work with the Literary Caffeine-ations to create a little bookmark. Here it is ...

Well, the idea came from the sentiment itself. What better way than turning it into a bookmark? I used the Tag O'Coffee Dies and some patterned paper and simply added some doodles and ribbon to finish.

This is how it sits on a page. If you want to find out how I made a similar bookmark, pop in over at STAMPlorations for my Mixed Media Tutorial 'Wanderlust Bookmark' this coming Friday, 16th March 12 noon Pacific/7pm GMT.

As mentioned earlier, this week we are showcasing stamps designed by Becca under her label 'Big Grins By Becca Cruger'. To mix it up a little, all stamps, stencils and dies - except from the Retiring category- are reduced by 10% this week in the STAMPlorations Shop, no coupon needed. Using my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA at checkout will give you an added 20% off taking the total discount to 30%. I would love for you to take advantage of this great offer.

Of course Shery will still draw a winner at random from all the comments left on this month's Inspiration Posts over on the STAMPlorations Blog. Pop over to see what my teamies created and to leave a comment for your entry into their prize draw.

That's it from me for today. Have a lovely day!
hugs
Monika xxx


here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps ***, stencils and dies:
Literary Caffeine-ations, Tag O'Coffee Dies
 
*** Discount code works on sale items too

Time Out Celebrations

Hello Crafty Friends!

The girls at Time Out Challenges are celebrating big as Time Out is turning 3! Their theme Love/Friendship for the coming fortnight couldn't be more fitting. There is an optional twist too ... Spotlight Stamping ... well I tried to incorporate it all for my friendship card ...

I worked with one of STAMPlorations newest additions Bloomin' Spring Coffee Basket and one of the cool or shall I say hot coffee sentiments from the LiteraryCaffeine-Ations set both fittingly stamped in Coffee Archival to make a skinny latte card.

For the spotlight stamping, I simply die-cut a heart shape from my stamped image, coloured it with a mixture of watercolour and inks and slightly raised it by layering on a couple of die-cut shapes.

Of course I shall be entering my card at some challenges too:
Time Out - Love/Friendship with the optional twist of Spotlight Stamping
Addicted To Stamps And More - Anything Goes

That's it from me for today. Pop over to the STAMPlorations Blog to see how my teamies help celebrating, and of course remember to link any of your creations with Time Out too. I shall be back soon.

Have fun!
hugs
Monika xxx


here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps, stencils and dies:
Bloomin' Spring Coffee Basket, LiteraryCaffeine-Ations
 

Fly

Hello Crafty Friends!

It's Inspiration Time over at STAMPlorations. This week my treamies and I are showcasing stamps by Becca under her label 'Big Grins by Becca Cruger'.

I decided to work with the Dino Things and Strong Women sets to create a cute card with Washi plasters and humour. Here it is ...

Continuing with the Centura Pearl card theme, got quite a lot of it bought ages ago of course 😁, today's card was pretty straight forward:

• cut the small crazy stitched rectangle from ivory pearlised card
• stamp, colour and fuzzy cut this cute flying dinasour, as I like to refer to our wild 'pet' sparrows in the garden, using ivory pearlised card and Promarkers; seriously they are such good fun to watch at the feeder outside our back door
• stamp the Strong Women sentiment
• add Washi tape, layer up and add more plasters
• add button and sequins to finish

I am entering my card at:

Addicted to CAS Challenge #104 - Pets

New for this year, the STAMPlorations Inspiration DT are showcasing stamps from one designer. All the stamps by that designer will be reduced by 10% for that one week apart from one set which will have a 20% discount. No coupon is needed at check out, and you still can apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA -which doesn't expire, by the way- for an extra 20% off all stamps, dies and stencils!

As mentioned earlier, this week we are showcasing stamps designed by Becca under her label 'Big Grins by Becca Cruger'. All her sets will be reduced by 10% and the Caffeinated Christmas set will be 20% off.

Of course Shery will still draw a winner at random from all the comments left on this month's Inspiration Posts over on the STAMPlorations Blog. Pop over to see what my teamies created and to leave a comment for your entry into their prize draw.

That's it from me for today. Wishing you all a Happy Valentien's Day! Have fun and allow yourseleves to be spoilt!
hugs
Monika xxx


here is what I used from the STAMPlorations Shop, remember to apply my personal discount code STAMPGIRLMONIKA (not case sensitive) at check out for a 20% discount on their stamps, stencils and dies:
Dino Things, Strong Women, Literary Caffeine-ations, Clustered Hearts
   

Crazy Double Running Stitch Rectangle Nesting Dies, Stitched Snow Hills

Spring Coffee Lovers Hop

... and Special Stamp Release at STAMPlorations!

Hi All,

It's double celebration time today ... Firstly, STAMPlorations have a special stamp release of caffeinated goodness ... cute, elegant and cheeky ... here they are ...

 

... just in time for the second celebration ...

... more about this later.
To give you some ideas, I channeled my inner Queen, dug out the doilies and, working with the Always Teatime set, came up with the following inspiration ...

For my first card, I spritzed a pale pink base card with some pink and gold spritzing ink and attached my paper doily as seen. Next I enlisted the help of one of my watercolour brush stroke practicing cards and gold embossed one of the cups from the Always Teatime set before stamping the rising aroma from the Vignette: Eat Drink Be Merry set in fuchsia StazOn. I stamped a cheeky sentiment from the Literary Caffeine-ations and added another one from the Vignette: Eat Drink Be Merry set before finishing off with some sequins.

Next up is one with a more Spring like feel ...

I used another one of my brush stroke practicing pieces for the golden rays of hope emanating from the teacup. I stamped (in Tangerine Tango on cream card) and fuzzy cut the teacup (Always Teatime), stamped my sentiment (Always Teatime), added some leaves (Frames and Flowers), layered up, doodled a partial border, stamped the butterflies in Tangerine Tango (Frames and Flowers) and finished off by adding some sequins.

Next up is the card, I made first ...

I stamped mt teacup and sentiment, both from the Always Teatime set, on a piece of splattered watercolour background and added a little more colour to the flowers on the cup before distressing the edges and leaving to dry. I then embossed a piece of raspberry coloured card with a lace pattern. As I didn't want the pattern to be too dominant, I run the card through my machine again simply sandwiched between the cutting plates to flatten the embossing for a more subtle effect. I then layered everything up, doodled a white border and added some sequins and clear gems to finish.

That's my inspiration for today. Commenting on the STAMPlorations Special Stamp Release Hop finishes on Good Friday, 25th March at 11.59pm Pacific Daylight Time. Until the hop closes there is also ... wait for this .... a 15% discount on everything in the STAMPlorations shop, just enter coupon code SPRINGCLBH at check out. Two winners will be drawn at random and announced on Easter Sunday 27th March. The full rules and more inspirations from some of my teamies can be found on the STAMPlorations Blog.

I would also like to link my second card up with ...

• Addicted to Stamps and More - Photo Inspiration   
• Spring Coffee Lovers Blog Hop - Spring   

That's it from me for today. Happy Hopping!

hugs
Monika xxx

here is what I used:
Always Teatime, Vignette: Eat Drink Be Merry, Literary Caffeine-ations, Frames and Flowers