It looks like glass

Hello crafty friends,

If you follow me on Pinterest or have checked out my Etsy shop, you will see that I love making coffee, wine and beer cards. And on of the things I like the best is to make the wine glasses, beer bottles and coffee mugs come to life by adding either clear embossing powder or a clear, glossy liquid (dries 3-D).

The clear embossing powder has a slight raise and really makes any ink color or patterned paper shine.  I used the clear embossing powder over patterned paper to give the illusion of china.  It's subtle but I think it adds something extra. The great about the embossing powder is there's not wait time.

Below is an example of how I added Nuvo Drops to make the the beer bottle and mug look like glass. The drops are very easy to apply to the stamped image and does not make the ink bleed.  It does take a good 24 hours to dry but the results are worth the wait. If you look closely, I also used the drops to make tiny fizz bubbles above the mug - I thought that made it look more "real".

There are few brands that carry this product.  I have tried the Crystal Effects (don't think this is made anymore) and the Nuvo Drops.  I have also heard really good things about Glossy Accents.

How have you used products like these?

Happy crafting!
Kathie K.

P.S. Blog readers are entitled to free shipping on orders over $20 on my Etsy shop - just enter BLOGSHIP when you check out!

Gift card holder tutorial

Hello stampers and card makers,

I have a very easy project for you with a huge WOW factor. I'm looking for ways to give gift cards that's creative and not run-of-the-mill.  Check out my coffee themed gift card holders.

The gift card holder fits into a standard A2 envelope and each holder holds a standard credit card size gift card. Below are the step by instructions and exactly what you'll need to make this project.

Materials:

•          Base cardstock (garden green), cut 5 3/8 x 6 1/8
•          Front and back cover (crumb cake), cut 2 – 2 ¾ x 4 5/8
•          Insert panel (garden green), cut 2 5/8 x 4 ¾
•          Gift card panel (white), cut 2 1/8 x 3 13/16
•          For die cuts, scraps of base cardstock and white
•          Embellishments:

·         Burlap ribbon – 6 ½”

·         Jute

·         Hemp

·         Crystal glaze

•          Dies – coffee set
•          Coffee themed stamp sets
•          Tombow Glue
•          Scoring tool
•          Scissors
•          Ink pads

Step 1: Score base cardstock at ½” along the long side; score at 1 1/2 and 4 1/2 on the short side. Trim away the 1/2” scored section on the 1^st and 3^rd panels.

Step 2: Die cut in white, coffee cup and 3-lids; in base color die cut the stopper and cup wrapper. Stamp For You on white and use a label or banner die to cut out.

Step 3: Stamp a background on the front and back cover using the same color of ink as the paper, using a collection of coffee themed stamps. Sponge same color around the edge of each panel and in the middle.

Step 4: Assemble the holder. Add adhesive or score tape to the outside of the tab at the bottom of the center panel and fold up. Add glue to the very edge of 1^st panel. Fold panels on top of tab and each other to make a sleeve. Let set for a couple of minutes.

Step 5: Using a half-circle punch, cut two slits at each end of the gift card panel. Glue on top of the insert panel centering.

Step 6: Gluing just the bottom edge, attached a coffee cup lid to both sides of the insert panel with the stopper on the top-right hand side sealing the two lids together. Set aside

Step 7: Adhere the front and back panels to the sleeve. Glue the cup wrapper to the die cut coffee cup. Attach to the very edge of the cup, the last coffee cup lid. Center the die-cut coffee cup at the very top of the front panel and glue down.  Add the embellishments to the bottom front of the sleeve. Attach a ribbon or jute string to the stopper – this becomes the pull to reveal the gift card.

Step 8: Using the same coffee theme stamps as you did for the front and back cover, stamp in the lower left-hand corner of the envelope (makes a nice coordinating envelope).

Here's a slightly different version.  This one is a thank you gift. I hope you give this a try. One tip - do all of your die cutting at the same time. This will help you keep track of your die cut pieces as well as save you a little time.

Happy stamping!

Kathie K.

Coffee and faith - my two favorite things

Hello stampers and crafters,

Thank so much for visiting my blog today. I had some fun this week making these cards.  I love all the coffee stamp sets and sentiments that are available.  They are so much fun to make and give to my friends and family. Dare 2B Artzy offers coffee and faith inspired stamp sets.  I love combining the whimsy of coffee themed stamps with the seriousness of faith sentiments - such a great balance.

I used a classic color combination of browns and blues, embellishments and embossing. I really like using clear embossing powder to imitate steam and it gives a nice glossy texture to the stamped coffee cups.

These cards can be used for any occasion or sentiment - even to just put a smile on someone's face.  I love sending these cards to my coffee loving friends.

I hope these cards give you some inspiration to make coffee themed cards. And you enjoy making them as much as I do.

These cards and more are available on my Etsy shop.  They are available individually or as a set (best price).

Happy Stamping!