Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / December 2024

Celeste and I are back for our December edition of Coffee & Cards. We decided that we would each choose our favorite card that the other had made in 2024. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it was nice to just sit back with a nice cup of coffee and look at all of our creativity throughout the year. I had so much fun scrolling through all of Celeste's wonderful projects ! But there was one that I had loved as soon as I saw it and that is My Favorite .

Celeste posted this card on September 30,2024. I love everything about this card !! The stenciled background, the stamp set she used, her coloring - EVERYTHING !! I especially loved the vintage feel of this card. The stamp set is Tattered Christmas by Whimsy Stamps. You can check out the original post HERE .

For my coffee today, I'm drinking Pecan Praline from a new cup I just had to have !! It reminded me so much of our sweet kitty Pixie !! Target had some of the best holiday cups this year - I had to stop myself from buying each and every one of them !!

Be sure to go to Celeste's page - Crafting Junky - to see which card of mine she close as her favorite of 2024. We look forward to 2025 and continuing to have our virtual Coffee & Cards meet-up each month. Have a wonderful holiday season, stay warm and always drink good coffee !!

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / November 2024

Well, it always seems to happen like this .... You turn around and it's the holiday season !! I am working Thanksgiving and the day after this year, but will be off for Christmas and New Years. Such is the life of a nurse . I have been at it for 40 years, so working holidays is just part of the deal. But at the end of a long shift, I get to come home and spend some time with Brian & Pixie .. I hope you get to spend some time with friends and family this Thanksgiving.Lisa and I are back with our creations for November - we both should have a nice stash of cards to mail out next month !!

I decided to use the Merry Catmas stamp set from Unity Stamp Company. This is such  a cute set and I loved it so much that I made 5 cards for today .. My initial thought was to leave all the cats white but my OLO markers were calling to me and I decided to color in a few on each card . I even colored a few to match some of my friend's cats. Meow !!

• I stamped the Cat Tree image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock that I already had cut to fit my card bases. I used my MISTI so stamping all 5 was very quick.
• Some of the cats were colored with my OLO markers.
• I made red, blue and green versions of this card.I stamped the sentiments on white cardstock in each color and trimmed them to fit below the tree.
• The border at the top of each stamped panel was made with a Tim Holtz Alterations On the Edge Scallops Die . This is long retired but can be found on eBay.
• I color-coordinated each card - card base, border and sentiment were all the same color family.
• The sentiment was popped up with foam tabs.
• Each completed panel was adhered to a matching card base. 

I had alot of fun with these cards !! Can't wait to send them to my "crazy cat lady" friends next month . I purchased 3 books of holiday  stamps and several International stamps I usually send about 60 cards each year. Take a look at what Lisa made over at her blog -Life of a BZscrapper . I hope you have been thinking ahead and finding ways to beat the stress and holiday rush this season.  We will see you next month with a wrap-up of our year .

Debra Davson/Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / November 2024

Another month has gone by and Celeste and I are back with our latest blog collaboration.. Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is right around the corner . And that usually includes some holiday baking for friends and families. So I thought that was the perfect theme for us . I hope you enjoy what we have created .

I bought the Martha Stewart Cottage Christmas rubber stamp set back in 2012 and never used it . So when I found it in my stash while looking for something else (no doubt ), it was my inspiration for this month's card .. 

• I stamped the Cottage Christmas elements on a piece of white cardstock, using Memento Dew Drop ink pads - Teal Zeal, Love Letter,  Cottage Ivy & Rich Cocoa . 
• I die cut the stamped panel with a Big and Little Chain Rectangle Die , leaving room at the bottom for a sentiment .
• A piece of Fancy Pants "Home Cafe" patterned paper was cut and adhered to a 5x7 card base.
• A sentiment from Impression Obsession's "Christmas Baking" was stamped on pale pink paper and then cut out to fit on the stamped panel. I used Catherine Pooler "Peppermint Scrub" ink .
• The completed stamped panel was placed on the card base with foam tabs to add dimension.
• I placed some pink striped Candy Dots on the sentiment for my finishing touch !!

I'm excited to see what Celeste has come up with for this Holiday Baking theme. You can check out her post over at her blog - Crafting Junky  While I was making this card, I enjoyed some Gingerbread coffee in a new reusable cup from my local Starbucks. I love its red and mint green and plaid design. And even though I definitely didn't need another cup I just had to add it to my collection.

Thanks for joining me and Celeste for another month of creativity. We will see you again in December. Until then , please stay creative AND warm ..

Debra Davison/Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / October 2024

Can you believe that it is October already ?? Christmas is only 2 months away and the Crafty Elves are here with their latest cards for your inspiration. Michael Trent is joining us again this month so you will have triple the creativity..

For my card this month, I used the Avery Elle "Dear Santa" stamp set. I recently purchased several stamp sets from a friend at her "Crafty Garage Sale" online and decided to ink up this set and use it for my card . I actually made 6 cards, using different patterned papers, But I was interrupted by something and didn't get to take my pictures in good light, so you will only see 1 here.  I will post the others in my Facebook group and on IG. The cat reminds me of our sweet Pixie !! She would NOT be caught dead wearing a Santa hat, but she would definitely go for that beautiful bow !!

• I positioned the cat, holly and sentiment images on my MISTI and stamped them on white cardstock. I used Tuxedo Black Memento ink for the cat and holly and Ruby Impression Obsession ink for the sentiment.
• The stamped image was die cut with a scalloped oval die by Stampendous.
• I colored the images with my OLO markers .
• A piece of Miss Mary Christmas  glittered holiday striped paper was adhered to a Kraft card base. This is a fun paper pad from Hobby Lobby.
• A strip of the holiday striped paper was adhered across the top of the card.
• Several enamel dots of various sizes were placed above the sentiment.
• A Santa hat dimensional sticker was placed on the cat's head.
• The completed stamped panel was adhered to the card base with foam tabs.

Thank you so much for stopping by to see what the Crafty Elves have been up to .. Take a look at what Lisa and Michael have created at their links :

Lisa - Life of a BZscrapper

Michael - World of Michael Trent

Have you started on your holiday cards yet ?? Lisa and I will be back next month with more inspiration for you . It feels nice when I have a stash of cards to use when holiday mail time rolls around. See you in November. Until then, stay creative and enjoy some beautiful Autumn weather.

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / October 2024

It's that spooky time of year and Celeste and I are back with our posts for October. We also have a scary guest this month - Michael Trent is joining us . I'm sure he will be showing us a fab-BOO-lous card .So get a cup of your favorite witch's brew and check out what we have created .. Our inspiration photo has fun Halloween vibes .

For my card, I used 2 Halloween stamps from Impression Obsession . They are having a Closing Sale with 50% off all supplies . My stamps are no longer available but I just had to use them - it's the first time I've inked them up !!

• I adhered a piece of Halloween Fun paper from Impression Obsession to a kraft card base.
• The witch image was stamped on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink .
• I used an oval die to cut out the image.
• I stamped the sentiment on a piece of orange designer paper and die cut it with a scalloped rectangle die.
• The witch panel was colored with my OLO markers .
• I adhered the witchy panel to the Halloween paper with foam tabs.
• The sentiment was placed on the left upper side of the witchy panel - also with foam tabs.

I must admit that I love this card !!! That witch is just too cute. I can't wait to see what Celeste and Michael have come up with . Michael is a lover of all things googly-eyes and I am NOT a fan so we forbade him from using any ... However, Michael is known to be a bit of a rebel, so I wouldn't be surprised if several show up in his design ! Here are the links to their cards -

Celeste - Crafting Junky

Michael - World of Michael Trent

For some spookiness this Halloween season, I started watching The Walking Dead : Daryl Dixon - The Book of Carol . I was a HUGE Walking Dead fan then just moved on to other television. But I was always intrigued by the Daryl/Carol relationship and decided to try out this season. So of course, I needed a cup that matched .. I think I have posted this one before but it seemed perfect for this post . I am drinking Pecan Praline coffee in my Walking Dead Zombie Head cup!! What is your coffee of the moment as we enjoy some Fall weather??

So glad you stopped by to have coffee with me, Celeste and Michael ( who is joining us all the way from Brazil ) . I have a few more Halloween card ideas swirling around in my head so I'd better make another cup of coffee and get started !! Until next time, stay creative !! And enjoy some fab-BOO-lous coffee !! See you in November ..

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Technique Junkies Stamp Release / October 2024

The latest release from Technique Junkies is full of 10 fabulous holiday designs. They will all be 15% off through October 8th - no code required. And using my code - TJ10Deb - will get you10% off all other stamps/supplies .

For my card today, I used the Cozy Polar Bears image, This is such a sweet, fun design and so easily colored. I'll probably be maby several of these cards to send out - I'd like to try some other color combinations. Maybe pink / mint green,  red / green and shades of red, blue and green

•  The image was stamped on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink .
• I trimmed the image and colored it with my OLO Markers .
• The completed polar bear image was matted with maroon cardstock.
• I adhered the completed stamped panel to a piece of blue plaid patterned paper.
• A strip of green glitter washi was placed in the upper left corner from side to top.
• A large red rhinestone was adhered in the middle of the strip of washi .
• The stamped panel was adhered to a Kraft card base.

Be sure to check out all of the creations from my fellow Design Team members at the links below .

TJ Blog

Jeanette

Debra - YOU ARE HERE

Michael

 Darlene

Pat

Until next time, Stay Creative ...

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Deb and Terri Color with OLO

I bought myself some OLO markers for my birthday and have been trying them out . They are alcohol markers, like COPICS or Ohuhu, but the similarity ends there. Check out the fantastic OLO website  for all the information on these markers. I love to color and wanted to challenge myself, so I asked a friend to do a blog post with me, each using our OLO markers. Terri Burson of Waving My Wand is a fantastic paper-crafter with amazing coloring skills . So we each made a Fall-themed card with our OLOs. Thanks to Terri for our fun graphic !!

 

I chose 2 cute stamp sets from Impression Obsession  that gave me the opportunity to use lots of OLO colors . These are no longer available but I knew I absolutely had to use these stamp for this post today.I have definitely been feeling the Fall vibes lately and wanted to reflect this in my card !!

• I stamped the image on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.
• The sentiment was stamped below the friends with Catherine Pooler "Peppermint Scrub" ink.
• I colored the image with a variety of OLO markers - shown below .
• The completed stamped panel was matted with a piece of deep red cardstock.
• I adhered a piece of Autumn-patterned paper to a Kraft card base.
• The matted panel was adhered to the card base.

I'm so excited that Terri could join me as I begin my OLO coloring journey. I know she is a very busy papercrafter, working with a variety of companies and was thrilled she could take the time to show off her artistic skills. Please check out her blog post  - Waving My Wand  - to see what she has created with her OLO markers -. You can also find her  @wavingmywand on IG and on Facebook .

Thank you so much for taking a look at this fun blog collab with Terri.

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / September 2024

Can you believe that Christmas is only 3 months away ?!?!?! Lisa and I have been posting holiday cards each month on the 25th to inspire you to get started on yours along with us. Take some of the stress out of the holidays by getting your holiday snail mail ready early.We hope you like our creations for September.

For my card this month, I used a sweet Penny Black stamp set - Balancing Act. I don't think it was meant as a holiday stamp but I immediately got the idea to use it with holiday colors . I also made some cards with Fall colors .

• For both cards, I stamped the Girl with Cat image on pieces of white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.
• The stamped panels were die-cut with a Big and Little Chain Rectangle Die.
• I colored the images with my new OLO Markers .
• I matted each of the stamped panels with dark green cardstock.
• Scraps from my patterned paper drawer were adhered to A2 card bases - 1 Kraft and 1 white.
• The completed panels were adhered to the card bases with foam tabs for added dimension .
• Tim Holtz sticker sentiments were adhered to each card.

My new OLO markers were a birthday present to myself in August, Check out their website at the link to learn all about them. I love the way they color and the ability to have 2 brush colors in 1 marker. I never have used the chisel tip of my other alcohol markers so I was thrilled with this feature, I am not affiliated with OLO - I purchased all  my markers. I just love them already and wanted to share my honest opinion. Have you tried them ?? I'd love to know what you think of them if you have. 

You can see Lisa's September cards over at her blog -Life of a BZscrapper . Thank you for stopping by to see our holiday inspiration. We really do appreciate it. Are you getting a head start on your holiday cards ?? Enjoy the start of Fall and cooler weather and we will see you in October with more of our creations.

Until next time,

Stay Creative

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / September 2024

September is here and I am grateful that cooler temps are on the way !! I am definitely a fan of the Autumn months and everything they bring - Pumpkin Spice Lattes, cool breezes, sweaters, colorful leaves, Halloween. Celeste found an amazing Mood Board inspiration photo for us that definitely embodies AUTUMN.We hope you like what we have created .

My card idea went in a whole different direction this month. I had a stamp set picked out and then decided to look for some sunflower digi paper on Etsy. I wasn't even planning on using it for my card - just taking a look . But then I found the most gorgeous paper from Fabi Art Studio and went in another direction.  The card was so easy to make that I made 4 . I am not a big fan of digital stamping .I mostly just print paper or images and use them "as is". I don't have a fancy program to resize or move images around. But I absolutely fell in love with this beautiful paper !!

• I printed the Sunflower Vintage Junk Journal images to fit on A2 card bases. 
• The images were matted and then adhered on a deep green cardstock .
• I stamped the sentiment on white cardstock with Catherine Pooler Juniper Mist ink.  It is from a retired Unity Stamp Company set - Turn Toward the Light.
• The sentiments were die cut with a Big and Little Chain Round die and a Stitched Square die.
• I adhered the sentiments to each of the 4 cards with foam tabs.
• The completed stamped/matted panels were adhered to black card bases.

I'm excited to see what Celeste has made this month. You can check her card out over at her blog -Crafting Junky . I decided to try some new K-cups and found Eggo Waffle coffee . I bought a variety pack and this month I'm drinking Maple Syrup Eggo coffee from a fun new cup. I hope you are enjoying the start of Fall and getting some crafting done. There are some very cute new Fall-themed stamp sets available. Or you can always get started on some holiday cards !!! 

Until next time, Stay Creative ...

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Technique Junkies Friday the 13th Halloween Inspiration Hop

Ahead of Halloween next month, September has a Friday the 13th !! According to Western superstition, it is considered an unlucky day . Many people avoid their regular routines, do not fly or take trips and are extra careful to avoid accidents on that day. You can read more about it online here . The Technique Junkies Design Team decided to make this Friday the 13th your LUCKY day with a card hop of their Halloween creations . It's  safer than walking under a ladder or risking breaking a mirror and getting 7 years of bad luck !! You can check out all of our creations from the safety & comfort of your own home . 

Each Design Team Member has made a Halloween card using Halloween stamps - new and previously released - with the hope that we inspire you to start making your own Halloween cards. Links to their cards are below and we hope you can hop on over to each one and check them out. Each Design Team Member also has a code on their posts that you can use to save 10% on the Technique Junkies website.

I used 2 of my favorite new Halloween stamps for my card today -Resting Witch Face  and Halloween Paintstroke .

• I stamped the Resting Witch Face image on white Mixed-Media paper  using Memento Dew Drop inks - Tuxedo Black, Tangelo and Grape Jelly .
• The image was cut with a Big and Little Pierced Chain Round Die.
• I adhered a scrap piece of fun Halloween paper to a Kraft card base.
• The completed stamped panel was adhered to the patterned paper with foam tabs.
• The Halloween Paintstroke image was stamped with Tangelo ink. on the inside of the card - see picture below .
• 3D Bat stickers were placed on the front of the card and inside for added dimension.

Use the links below to check out all of the Halloween inspiration from my fellow Design Team members .

TJ Blog 0800

TJ Blog

Debra - you are here

Michael

Pam

Jeanette

Christine

Pat

Patti

Faith

Shalana

We hope you enjoyed all of our Halloween card inspiration !! All of the Halloween stamps at Technique Junkies are 13% off September 13-15 with no code needed.  And if you use my cde TJ10Deb, you can save an extra 10% . Thanks to Michael Trent for coming up with this fabulous Friday the 13th Inspiration Hop idea. Until next time, stay creative AND stay safe today !!

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

There's Boos Inside

My friend Michael Trent is doing 30 Days of Halloween/Autumn Cards for the month of September . I decided to surprise him today and join in on the fun with him . And since he frequently tortures me by using googly eyes on his cards ( which I am not too fond of ), I decided to make a card with them - just to show how much I value our friendship !! And if I am being honest, I'm actually really thrilled with  the card I made.I think my love of all things coffee has made me more tolerant of the googly eyes on this card ..

• I stamped the 3 Coffee cup images from the Ellen Hutson stamp set - Boos Inside -  ( now retired ) on white, yellow and orange designer paper with Memento Tuxedo Black ink.
• The cups were cut out with matching dies.
• On Kraft card bases, I adhered strips of Halloween Fun Designer paper from Impression Obsession .
• I stamped the sentiment from the Boos Inside stamp set with green inks on scraps of paper from my stash.
• I adhered the sentiment panel next to the Halloween paper on the card base,
• The coffee cups were adhered in a stack above the sentiment.
• And last, but definitely NOT least, I placed glow-in-the-dark googly eyes on the ghost and cat coffee cups !!

You can follow along with Michael's month long Halloween inspiration at his blog - World of Michael Trent . Thanks for stopping by today ... Stay tuned for more Halloween fun tomorrow from the Technique Junkies Design Team.. It's getting spooky around here !!

Technique Junkies Stamp Release / September 2024

It's time for the new release from Technique Junkies - 14 new stamps to celebrate Fall, Halloween and Nature . And of course, a few fun,snarky images too !! All new release stamps are 15% off through September 8. I know you will definitely find a few to add to your collection .

I'm doing an ATC coin swap with a friend so I decided to use the Bare Branches stamp for today . It's a large background stamp that I paper punched into 2 ATC coins - each 2 1/2 inches.

• I stamped the Bare Branches image on Toned Tan Mixed-Media paper with Memento Espresso ink  and again on Toned Grey Mixed Media paper with Memento Tuxedo Black ink .
• I paper-punched the 2 1/2 inch circles for my ATC coins .
• The  3-D stickers on each coin are from PaperHouse Productions .
• These ATC coins are so fun and easy to make and a great way to swap with your creative friends !!

I hope you will take some time to see the projects from my teammates at their links below .

TJ Blog

Jeanette

Debra - you are here

Michael

Pam

Christine

Darlene

Pat

Patti

I will be posting new projects in the coming weeks with the fabulous September Release stamps . You can use my code - TJ10Deb - to save 10% off all other stamps/supplies .The new releases are 15% off through September 8 - no code required. Thank you for stopping by to check out the new release stamps !! 

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / August 2024

It's hard to believe that September is almost here and hopefully some Autumn weather with it !! I promise not to complain about cold weather after the extremely hot summer we've had. Last year right after Christmas, our HVAC system decided that 20 years of work was enough and broke down. It was time for a new one and as hard as it was to spend so much money on it, the house hasn't felt so comfortable in years. The kitchen hadn't cooled down or warmed up in a long time but new duct work took care of that also .. Sooooo, I am looking forward to cooler temps, sweater weather, falling leaves and a nice,cozy house !! Remind me of that when we have our first snowfall. 

Lisa and I are back this month with our Crafty Elf creations to inspire you and help you get ready to send your holiday cards !! I used a retired stamp from Penny Black Inc.  - Paris Packages. I also colored the stamped image with my new OLO markers .

• I stamped the Eiffel Tower image on white cardstock with Tuxedo Black Memento ink .
• The stamped image was die cut with a Big and Little Chain Rectangle die from Gina Marie Designs .
• The stamped image waa colored with my new OLO markers. I was so excited to use them that I forgot to write down which colors I used.But I will next time.
• I adhered a piece of Paris Junk Journal digital paper  - from Trendy Travel Digital on Etsy - to a Sky Blue 5x7 card base.
• The stamped panel was matted on a piece of teal cardstock and adhered to the card base with foam tabs.
• A Merry Christmas wood-mounted stamp from My Sentiments Exactly was used  for the sentiment. I stamped it with Rose IO ink on white cardstock, then trimmed it.
• I adhered the sentiment to the left of the Eiffel Tower with foam tabs.

I also colored it in a more traditional color scheme.for another card.

Please take a look at Lisa's August inspiration over at her blog - Life of a BZscrapper . She continuously creates fabulous cards each and every month .. I appreciate you stopping by to visit the Crafty Elves. We will be back  in September with more holiday creations!!

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

It's Okay Not To Be Okay

I've learned over the years that it's okay not to be okay. When something tragic happens, we need to acknowledge it and understand that we are allowed to be sad .. Grief is not a problem to be solved - we learn to navigate through it. I certainly learned that when my son was killed in a car accident in 2023 by an impaired driver. We had a close but complicated relationship and all of a sudden he was gone. No more time to wonder what the future would bring . I had guilt over the should haves and could haves. And I definitely wasn't okay. But with the help of an amazing grief counselor, a support group, family and friends, I am learning that when I'm not okay, I have people to turn to .. This card is for a dear friend who is going through her own grief . I can't fix it for her but I can be there for her when she needs a friend. We've spent an afternoon playing with paper and many times just meeting up for a quick coffee . It's okay to not be okay but you don't have to do it alone . 

• I stamped the sentiment from Technique Junkies with Nautical Blue Memento ink on a piece of nautical patterned paper .
• The stamped panel was adhered to a Kraft card base.

Thank you for stopping by to see my card using the It's Okay stamp from the latest Technique Junkies release. Reach out to someone you know who is having a hard time. You don't have to fix it for them - you just need to be there.

Debra Davison / Meticulosity