A “Not a Christmas Card” Winter Card

What is the difference between a winter theme and a Christmas theme when making a card? At the store where I work, I am sometimes asked to put Christmas stamps and dies out on sale after Christmas. No problem with that, but then I am sometimes asked to leave winter-themed stamps and dies at regular prices. That is a bit trickier! What images are solely Winter or Christmas? Today, I thought I would try to make a couple of cards that look wintery but not Christmasy. Don’t know if it worked but I liked the cards anyway.

Take a look:

Here Comes the Travel Bug!

When I start making travel cards it is a sign that I am being hit with the travel bug again. A while back I saw this stamp from AALL & Create and it had to go in my cart. Some of you might already know that designs from AALL & Create aren’t usually my favorite. I am not fond of the googly-eyed characters that grace many of their stamps. Ok, let’s get real…………………I dislike them so much that I flip over the pages of them with only one of my own googly eyes open, just so I don’t have to look at them so much. They are really popular, so the problem lies with me, but it is what it is. Anyway there are always exceptions to the rule and this cutie is one of them,.

It reminds me of the many hop-on hop-off bus tours that I have been on and that just makes me smile.

The other interesting thing about this card (well, probably ONLY interesting to me) is that it is only one layer and totally unembellished. Most of my cards are quite dimensional and layered and many AALL & Create stamps are used in mixed media projects with lots of layers and stuff going on, and yet I chose to keep this card uber simple. Quite peculiar!

Here it is:

Dam this is a cute card!

Sometimes a card just makes itself. Such is the case today. I was thinking about a Valentine’s card when I saw this beaver stamp on my desk. I thought Mr. UBER buck teeth would be the guy to confidently say, “Pucker up”. The rest just followed.

Walter is in the House

I recently got the Walter die from Tim Holtz as a “free” gift when purchasing some other Tim Holtz products. Free is in quotes because it took me about 2 hours to select a couple of things that I wanted but didn’t already have to qualify to receive Walter for free. If time really is money…………………then I paid for Walter.

Nevertheless, Walter is cute and I am glad that I got him. I made this little card not only to use him but also to use the Believe edge die from Penny Black that I got at the same time.

Walter may have the distinction of being the last Christmas card that I make this year as I am simply running out of time.

Coffee Lovers Bloghop Fall/Winter 2023 Day 8.5

I promise I am done making coffee cards, at least for the time being. I did want to make this last one, as I had gotten those cute little Grinch clay bits from Kat Scrappiness and I just had to use them. The result is Grinch Flavoured Apple Cider. The patterned paper is also from Kat Scrappiness. The apple cider glass is from Tonic Studios. The Grinch stamp and sentiment is from Crackerbox Palace stamps.

That is it for me for the Fall/Winter 2023 Coffee Bloghop. It is always fun for me to mix old and new products and to mix products from different companies. Thanks to the wonderful sponsors and thanks to Amy and crew for putting on this hop.

Coffee Lovers Bloghop Fall/Winter 2023 Day 8

Do you have a mission in life? I do……………………………..don’t get excited…………………………I aim very low with my missions. I have been trying to make a card that uses at least one of the packages of “too cute to resist” brads that I own. Lo and behold, I was able to make a coffee card today, with several brads that fit on it.

I used a Poppy Stamps cover die called Greenhouse Potted Plants. I cut off most of the plant pots that are connected to the shelves. I turned the ones on the bottom into sugar cube and cinnamon bowls. I placed several Holiday Coffee Cup brads on the shelves. I attached the cover die to patterned coffee bean paper from Paper Rose’s Bellamy Patterns. The sentiment die cut is from Stamplorations.

Take a look:

There just might be time for a Day 8.5 card. Maybe, if I put off housework for a few more hours.

Coffee Lovers Bloghop Fall/Winter 2023 Day 7.5

So this is day 7.5! What?? Yes, I made another card and it was just too cute not to post.

It is well known amongst my friends, that I love Meerkats. I have seen them at the Phoenix Zoo and I watch any videos of them that I come across on the internet. They are just so darn cute………………always stretching up looking this way and that……………….moving around frantically………………………always on guard………….looking out for everyone in the mob. Now I know why they are always so frantic……………………….too much coffee.

Coffee Lovers Bloghop Fall/Winter 2023 Day 7

On the home stretch with the Coffee Bloghop. You know, it is funny………………..when I started out earlier this week to make coffee cards…………………………………….I thought the idea bin had dried up. Once I got rolling, however, the ideas just started popping up. Now, I have more ideas than days left in the hop.

Today, I thought I would do a black-and-white card. The idea is that the world is a bit colourless until I drink that first cup of coffee. Now that I am retired, I just make the coffee at home and pour it even before it is finished dripping through and the world begins to have colour. In the old days though, when I worked in the heart of the city, this card was an everyday occurrence. You were always jockeying for position to have the Barista notice you, so you could get your coffee and get to your early morning meeting on time.

I like it when I am able to repurpose products that I have picked up (especially on sale) and that is the case with the “hand” patterned paper that I used here. It is called All Together and it is from Stampin Up. It is meant to show solidarity amongst all races and nationalities and it is wonderful for cards with that in mind. It is being used for a much less noble purpose here, ie. just for a smile. The patterned paper is Paper Rose’s Bellamy’s Patterns and the sentiment is from Crackerbox Palace Stamps. The chalkboard frame die is from Hero Arts.

Coffee Lovers Bloghop Fall/Winter 2023 Day 6

I am almost caught up. This card was easy to put together as I had already cut out a bunch of Owls with my Scan n Cut. The owls are from a paper pad called Bellamy’s Patterns from Paper Rose. I am currently really liking the colour combination of blue/gray with brown and there it was …………………a brown owl with a blue-gray scarf. The finishing touch was the sentiment that just seemed to describe what is happening in my life right now, and it just happened to be in the perfect colours. Embellishments are from Sweet November.

Here it is:

Coffee Lovers Bloghop Fall/Winter Day 5

Still trying to catch up to my goal of a card for each day of the bloghop.

This card features a coffee shop using dies from My Favorite Things. I have made a coffee shop card in a previous bloghop. I mentioned in the accompanying write up that this die set satisfied both my interest in cardmaking and my interest in decorating. That card had an industrial/warehouse look while this one is more homey looking with its’ brown and red colour scheme and wood accents.

Take a look: