She Made It / He Made It - May 2026

Michael Trent and I are just 2 crafty friends who bonded online over paper and coffee !! He's in Brazil and I'm in the USA. We have very different styles and like to challenge each other every so often .. We choose a theme, technique, stamp or in this case, a date  and each create a card .  Here is our latest  collab for today - May 21 - International Tea Day .

I chose to use a Close To My Heart set - Tea-rrific . It was a Stamp of the Month . I colored it with my new Ohuhu Honolulu markers. My COPICs are slowly drying out ( I have had them about 10 years ) and I have also had splatter problems with them and also my OLOs.... So I decided to try Ohuhu since the price was excellent. So far I am really enjoying them ..  Time will tell - I'll report back in about a month and let you know how it's going .

• I stamped all of the tea cup images with Memento Tuxedo Black ink .
• The sentiments were stamped in a variety of colors of Impression Obsession inks.
• I die cut each stamped panel .
• The images were all colored with my new Ohuhu markers.
• I fussy-cut the tea bag papers and popped them up on each card with foam tabs.
• The completed stamped panels were adhered to pre-made patterned card bases.

I feel like a bit of an overachiever this time because I actually made 4 cards . I spotted an older wood-mount stamp by Judikins of a tea pot and just had to use it . It was designed by Paula Best, a favorite artist of mine .. The sentiment is from Unity Stamp Company . I thought the embossed star background was perfect for the card ( found in my scrap drawer !! )

International Tea Day is all about celebrating the cultural heritage, health benefits and economic importance of tea. Grab a favorite cup, choose a lovely variety of tea and enjoy some quiet time today .  And don't forget to check out Michael's card ( or cards ) at his blog - World of Michael Trent . He is usually the overachiever in this relationship, so let's see what happens !!

Thank you for stopping by our latest She Made It / He Made It  posts  . Let us know if you have a favorite card that we've made. Until next time, stay creative !!

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee and Cards with Deb & Celeste / April 2026

April is here and that means a Spring theme for our cards this month. We also decided to use  embossing folders and I found the perfect one while destashing !! We are in for warmer temperatures here in Virginia Beach - heading up into the 80's next week. I hope you are enjoying Spring weather wherever you are .

I used supplies that I have had for awhile on my card today . The Cuttlebug "Cherry Blossom" embossing folder and Close To My Heart "Spring Critters" stamp set were the perfect duo for a Spring birthday card . 

Make a Wish

• I embossed a piece of pink cardstock with the Cherry Blossom embossing folder. I trimmed it and adhered it to a 5x7 card base.
• The bird with banner image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock .
• I die-cut the stamped image with a square die .
• The stamped image was colored with my COPICS.
• A Tim Holtz sentiment was placed in the banner.
• A strip of grass washi was placed across the bottom of the stamped panel.
• A banner sticker was placed at an angle at the top of the embossed panel.
• Several pink rhinestones were adhered to the embossed area above the banner.
• I popped up the stamped panel below the banner with foam squares.

To get a look at Celeste's Spring creation, please head over to her blog - Crafting Junky . I can't wait to see what she made. This month, I got out a fun mug from one of my favorite tv shows - Schitt's Creek . Dan Levy - one of the show's creators and stars - has a new show called Big Mistakes on   Netflix. I saw the mug in my cupboard and decided to use it. I'm drinking Glazed Donut coffee today .

Thanks for checking out of April cards .. We will be back next month with more to show you. Until then, Stay Creative.

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / December 2025

Who can believe that Christmas is here  !?!?!? I'm looking forward to all the holidays off now that I'm retired. It feels surreal that after 38 years at the same hospital, I'm now sleeping most nights without a 0430 alarm, don't have to worry about driving into work in bad weather AND best of all, I can enjoy my morning coffee quietly without any telemetry alarms or phone calls !!

I made a few cards and will just be posting which stamp I used .. There are holiday movies to be watched and a few more gifts to wrap so this post will be short and sweet .. I hope you are all ready for the holidays- no matter how you celebrate. I also know from experience that the holidays are not happy for everyone . Reach out to someone who needs a little support. It will mean the world to them.

Jubilee Crew Reindeer stamp & sentiment by Close To My Heart

Sleigh sticker from Papyrus

Dasher stamp/die set by Catherine Pooler

Decorate My Life stamp by Unity Stamp Company

I didn't send or receive as many holiday cards this year as last year . Not sure exactly why people weren't sending them. I just honestly ran out of steam and made a few last-minute cards and called it quits. But luckily, I make holiday cards all year long !!

To see what Michael and Lisa have created, check out their links -

Michael Trent - World of Michael Trent

Lisa Reynolds- Bzibziak - Life of a BZscrapper

Thank you for stopping by. I hope that you enjoyed our latest creations and we look forward to making many more for you every month in 2026.

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee and Cards with Deb and Celeste - and Michael / November 2025

November is here and it's a time of colorful leaves, creating holiday cards and being grateful for wonderful friends ( both near and far ) . Today Michael Trent is joining us again from Brazil . He introduced me to KCS Designs By Kim and the fabulous digital images in their Etsy shop . We've been having so much fun with their designs that Celeste suggested we all use KCS Designs images for our November posts . Michael and I are also new members of their Design Team !!

 

As soon as I saw the new Christmas Past Journal Papers, I knew I had to have them . And then I started thinking of card designs I could make with them. I've already used one of the 20 included designs for a recipe swap . There are ornaments, strings of holiday lights, a holiday village and Santa - just to name a few.

• I printed the Skaters and the Snowman images from the Christmas Past Journal Papers to fit on an A2 card base.
• I fussycut the snowman from the printed panel .
• A strip of snowflake washi was adhered across the top of the skater image.
• I stamped the sentiment on white cardstock with Nautical Blue Memento Ink . It is from The Jubilee Crew by Close To My Heart .
• The sentiment was cut with a Deckle Rectangle Die .
• I popped the snowman up on the skater panel with foam tabs.
• The snowflakes were stamped in a variety of colors of blue ink on the skater panel and the sentiment image. They are from a 2006 Stampin' Up set - Snow Flurries .
• I adhered the skater panel to a turquoise card base.
• The sentiment was popped up with foam tabs .
• I placed a glittery pale blue candy dot on the center of each snowflake.

I really love how this card turned out . The vintage feel is perfect for some beautiful holiday cards .  I'm excited to use more designs in that set . Please use the links below to see what Celeste and Michael have made for November.

Celeste - Crafting Junky

Michael - World of Michael Trent

I bought a Christmas Coffee cup a few months ago at a fantastic sale price. I used it for the first time today while finishing this card . This SWIG cup is really gorgeous, and I decided to have a cup of Cinnabon Caramel Pecan coffee while I created.

Thanks so much for viewing my card for November. I hope you are staying warm and enjoying some of your favorite beverage . I have been retired for a little over a month now and thoroughly enjoying myself - no 0430 alarms waking me up , enjoying a nice quiet cup of coffee in the morning , reading late into the night whenever I want to .. And being able to create 24/7 . Take some time for yourself and do some creating of your own. We will be back in December. 

Debra Davison / Meticulosity 

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / September 2025

This month, Celeste had the great idea to use up some of our scraps . I used to keep two whole  drawers full of paper scraps - 1 for solid colors and another for patterned paper. But I decided to consolidate and just keep one drawer, which narrowed down my selection for today. I did find some great pieces of scrap paper though and made a great background for my card .

Celeste's Scrap Stash

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the scraps I chose so I just placed them on a card base and hoped I would come up with an idea !! I decided to look through some Close To My Heart stamp sets and found one that I thought would work with my background. Here are the scraps that I used , All I did was trim them down to get several lengths and attached them to a navy card base.

And here is my finished card ..

• The stamp set is I'd Rather Be Reading from Close To My Heart  (which unfortunately has closed ).
• I stamped the shelf and sentiment on cream cardstock . I used Memento Tuxedo Black ink for the shelf and the matching die to cut the shelf .
• The sentiment was stamped with Impression Obsession Ruby  ink .
• The shelf was colored with Copics and Sharpies.
• I adhered the shelf to the scrap paper strips with foam tabs to add some dimension .
• The sentiment was die-cut with a Big Little Chain Rectangle die from Gina Marie Designs .
• I adhered the sentiment to the bottom right corner of the card base .

I am really happy with how this card turned out, especially since I had no idea what I was doing when I sat down to make it !! Do you ever grab some scarps from your stash and create with them ?? This was a fun theme !!  I can't wait to see what Celeste came up with . Take a look at her blog Crafting Junky to see her card ..

For my coffee this month, I chose McCafe'  Affogato .. It tastes like Vanilla soft serve ice cream and is absolutely delicious !!  My cup is a Starbucks Amsterdam mug brought back for me by a friend. It must have been International Day here because I'm reading a book set in Scotland from a Netherlands cup while drinking American coffee !! 

Thank you for joining me today as I use up some scraps . I hope Celeste and I have inspired you to take a look in your stash and create something !! Until next time, I hope you will enjoy some creative time, drink some good coffee and read a good book .

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / January 2025

The Crafty Elves are back to bring you another year of inspiration. We will work our way through 2025, posting each month on the 25th to help you get ready for the holiday snail mail rush !! AND I'm thrilled to let you know that Michael Trent  will be joining us again !! He took some time off but of course, he couldn't stay away from us .. Show him some love and comment on his post.

For my first card, I used an old snowglobe Starbucks gift card and a gingerbread chipboard sticker from my Spellbinders Holiday Advent Calendar. A Tim Holtz sentiment was perfect to  complete my card !! This card came together in about 5 minutes  - now I have something to do with all those Starbucks cards !!

May Your Days Be Merry & Bright

My next 4 cards were also so quick and easy !! I stamped the Christmas Snow Globe images from Close To My Heart , colored them with my OLO Markers and fussy-cut them. I adhered each snow globe to a bright red card base, popping them up with foam tabs. I added some glitter to each snowglobe also. A Tim Holtz Label Sticker was adhered at the bottom right of each card . 

Thank you for stopping by to begin a new year with us !! Check out the links to Lisa and Michael's cards for January .. I hope you find lots of inspiration and start your holiday cards with us .. It's so nice to have a stash to use when you're getting ready to send your holiday mail .

 Michael - World of Michael Trent

Lisa - Life of a BZscrapper

Until next month, Stay Creative

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / December 2023

It's time for the Crafty Elves to share their last cards of 2023 .. I'll admit that I'm running a little late this year  - I had to work Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which seriously put me behind on a bit of holiday spirit !! But now I'm thrilled to have 3 days off , I'm drinking an uninterrupted cup of coffee and can finally finish this post !! Michael isn't joining us this month and also has decided to take a break for 2024, but he definitely has an open invitation as a Guest Elf whenever he'd like to join us..

I made 2 cards this month with some of my favorite new stamp sets ..  The first was made with the Pooh''s List stamp set from Unity Stamp Company. This set is so sweet and I loved making this card and coloring the images .

My next card was created with the latest Stamp of the Month from Close To My Heart -Christmas Snow Globes .These are fabulous images to fussy-cut but you can also buy a stamp/die set .  There are 4 snow globes, 2 sentiments and a border included in this set . 

Since I'm running late, I won't bore you with instructions !! Grab some pretty paper, ink , your stamp , some markers and adhesive and VOILA !!! Oh - and a bit of Stickles for the headlights ..

Take a look at Lisa's December creation over at her blog - Life of a BZscrapper . Her cards are always masterpieces !! It's hard to believe that 2024 will be our 6th year posting as the Crafty Elves !! It's always nice to have that stash of cards to use when the holidays roll around.. If you'd like to be a Guest Elf with us one month, please get in touch with me or Lisa and let us know .. We'd love to have you join in !!

We will see you again on January 25 as we begin another year.

Until then, Stay Creative !!

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / November 2023

Celeste and I are getting in the holiday spirit with this month's inspiration photo !! Last year, she sent me a stamp set from Close To My Heart and she also has the set . We decided to use it for our cards this month !! We hope you are inspired to make a few holidays cards yourself if you haven't already ..

The Close To My Heart stamp/die set "Comfort and Joy"  has so many fun elements . I had planned on using the tree then couldn't make up my mind when I sat down to work on the card .... So, I decided to combine 3 of the stamps into 1 slimline card . I hope you like it !!

• I stamped the images using Catherine Pooler Mini ink pads -  the colors were as follows - Deck the Halls/Eucalyptus , Noel/Peppermint Scrub and Eucalyptus, and the Tree & Star/Spruce and Sauna .
• The images were cut using the matching dies.
• I adhered the die-cut green leaves to the NOEL image.
• I cut a piece of dark red cardstock for my slimline card.
• A piece of plaid holiday paper was cut to fit the card base anda strip of gold glitter washi was placed down the left side .
• I adhered the plaid paper to the card base.
• The stamped images were adhered to the plaid paper.
• I placed several blue-green rhinestones on the Deck the Halls image.
• Small colored pearls were adhered to the tree.

I used my new paper cutter on this card  - the Tim Holtz-Tonic Precision Trimmer . I had the same cutter for almost 10 years and wanted to try something new. I am not affiliated with these companies - I just honestly love this trimmer. You can check out its features and see a video HERE at Tonic Studios.

It will be fun to see what Celeste has created using the same stamp set .  Her card can be found over at her blog - Crafting Junky . For my coffee this month, I couldn't pass up using my Red Cup from Starbucks. I am excited every year for Red Cup Day and this year was no exception !! I'm using this picture from Starbucks of the cup because it is so pretty but I'm using my own at home as I write this .  Chestnut Praline coffee is my flavor cloice for November.  We had roasted and boiled chestnuts every Christmas when I was growing up in Pennsylvania so this coffee brings back lots of happy memories !!

Thank you for visiting Meticulosity to see what Celeste and I are up to this season. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by friends and family .. Don't forget to relax in the middle of all the chaos of the cooking, cleaning, football watching etc ..

Until next time - Stay Creative

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee and Cards with Deb and Celeste / April 2023

April showers bring May flowers. At least that's what they say .. We had some 80 degree weather here and now we are in for a rainy weekend. Let's see what May 1st brings us . For our theme this month, we decided on one of my favorite supplies - WASHI ..I probably have enough rolls to circle the globe.. With extra to spare ..  Are you a washi lover too ?? I use washi often when making many of my cards ( that's how I justify the hundreds and hundreds of rolls that I have in my stash ) !!

I found this amazing washi from 49 and Market that seemed perfect for making a card base panel. The large, beautiful designs deserved to be a focal point of the card and my idea used it as a background without covering up too much. Vintage Artistry Serenity Washi Tape Set includes  3 different designs of various widths.

• I covered a piece of white cardstock with strips of the Vintage Artistry Serenity washi.
• The girl and frame images from Bloom with Grace by Close To My Heart  were stamped on white cardstock with Memento Tuxedo Black ink .
• I stamped the sentiment in the frame from the same stamp set with Nautical Blue Memento ink .
• The images were colored with my COPIC markers.
• I fussy-cut the images and adhered them to my card base with foam tabs for added dimension.
• I adhered the completed panel to a pale turquoise card base.

I was pleased that the design of the washi tapes all used together had the appearance of patterned paper. The washi is really absolutely gorgeous and no picture can truly do it justice !! I also have a Christmas design set that I am sure you will be seeing in one of my posts soon.  I think Celeste loves washi tape as much as I do and I 'm excited to see what she created this month . You can see her card over at her blog - Crafting Junky

The coffee I am drinking today is Pecan Praline. I'm using a  mug that was sent to me in the mail by my friend Amy. I had posted online that I could not find it here at our local TJ Maxx. She found it and sent me it all the way from Wisconsin !! Along with a few other goodies .. She is the best !!

SAVE THE EARTH

Thank you for stopping by to see our April cards.  We will be back in May with more coffee and cards. I hope to see you then.

Until next time, Stay Creative 

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Coffee & Cards with Deb & Celeste / February 2023

Celeste and I are here with our February coffee and cards posts .  Celeste chose a fabulous inspiration photo for us to use this month .. Not too surprising that it is full of hearts and lots of RED !!! I used a stamp set that I have had for awhile and just had to pull out for February ..

From the inspiration photo, I decided to use hearts and some red .. Then I just did my own thing with the rest of the design !! The retired Eat, Play Love -cardmaking stamp set from Close To My Heart  was the perfect choice for my card ..

• I stamped the images on white cardstock with Memento Dew Drop inks  - Tuxedo Black/ jar, Love Letter/ saying, Peanut Brittle/ rolling pin, Toffee Crunch /cutting board and Gray Flannel / whisk .
• The coordinating dies were used to cut out the pieces.
• A piece of patterned paper from the Dear Lizzy "Lucky Charm" paper pad was trimmed to fit the front of a turquoise card base.
• Fabulous Alena Laser-cut Elements from 49 and Market were placed at the top of the patterned paper - a teal scalloped border and a silver heart .
• I colored the top of the mason jar and the heart  with COPIC markers.
• The jar was adhered  to the patterned paper with foam dimensionals.
• The whisk, rolling pin and cutting board were adhered to the mason jar near the turquoise heart.
• The completed patterned paper panel was then adhered to a turquoise card base.

Celeste has her February card over at her blog - Crafting Junky . I'm sure it will be as fabulous as all of her cards .I love seeing how each of us interprets the inspiration photo each month. This month I am using a cute Cherry Blossom Tervis insulated tumbler cup. I'm drinking an Iced Cold Brew Vanilla Almond Latte from Califa Farms . I'll be taking that cup to work - coffee is a very important part of my 12 hour shifts !!

Celeste and I will be back again in March with some springtime inspiration ..  We are both so grateful that you stopped by to see our February cards.  

Until next time - Stay Creative ..

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / January 2023

The Crafty Elves are back to start off your New Year with some holiday inspiration !! It was nice to have a stash of cards for the 2022 holiday season, so we decided to come back again for 2023.  We will all be posting at least 1 card and if we are extra creative, there might be additional cards. Did you make your holiday cards throughout 2022 with us ?? Or was there a mad rush to make some and then a quick trip to the store or  maybe Amazon for last minute cards ?? I will admit that I did hit the Hallmark after-Christmas sale and bought cards, coffee cups and a nightshirt !!

To kick off 2023, we have a Guest Elf !! Chris Franco is a fabulous papercrafter and most importantly, my dear friend .. She is a consultant for Close To My Heart and that link will take you to a wonderful world of stamps, paper, etc. !!! She is my CTMH enabler and knows just what I can't live without .. It is also her birthday this month - January 23 - so we wish her a wonderful birthday month !! I hope it was filled with fun, family AND cake !! Here are Chris's  social media links . Please take a look at her  wonderful creativity ..

• Chris Franco - Stamped Blessings
  
•  Chris's Facebook Page
• Chris's Instagram
  

For my card this month, I chose a favorite Close To My Heart stamp/die set - WINTER IN A BOTTLE. It's no longer available but there are 100's of other wonderful holiday sets by CTMH . They also have the most amazing sales throughout the year and believe me, I have shopped many of them !! The card that I made is a CASE card . I saw a card made by another CTMH consultant  - Kristina Baldwin -  and fell in love with it .. So, thank you so much for the inspiration, Kristina !!

• I stamped the Skyline and Jar from "Winter in a Bottle" on watercolor paper with a Memento Jet Black ink pad .
• The snowflakes were also stamped on watercolor paper with Memento Dew Drop inks - Teal Zeal & Summer Sky .
• The jar, skyline and snowflakes were die cut with the matching dies.
• I cut the sky backdrop from a piece of white glitter paper also with a die from the Winter in a Bottle set .
• The sentiment was stamped in Nautical Blue Memento ink and then cut into a banner shape .
• I adhered a piece of checked paper from the Echo Park "Home Again" 6x6 paper pad onto the lower right side of a  pale green card base.
• The skyline image was colored with my COPICS.
• The glitter sky and stamped skyline were adhered inside the jar.
• I tied a piece of Christmas twine around the neck of the stamped jar and then adhered it to the checked panel . 
• Rhinestones were placed at the center of the snowflakes and then I adhered them around the completed stamped image,
• The sentiment was adhered to the checked panel .
  
• 2 clear rhinestones were placed down the top left side of the card base . 

Michael, Lisa and Misty are also welcoming 2023 with me . We will be back each month on the 25th to inspire you to start on your holiday cards .. It was nice to have a stash this past holiday when it was time to start mailing out cards!! Please take a look at the other Crafty Elf creations .. I'm sure that they are all fabulous as always !!

Michael Trent / World of Michael Trent

 Lisa Reynolds-Bzibziak / Life of a BZ Scrapper

Misty Lavigne - Jolly Fat Elf on You Tube

Thank you for joining us for our first post of 2023 !! We're excited to be back to inspire you to get a head start on your holiday cards !! I'd also like to thank Chris Franco for helping us get the New Year started. We hope that she is having an amazing birthday month !!

Until next time, Stay Creative 

Debra Davison / Meticulosity

Crafty Elves' Countdown to Christmas / December 2022

Once again,  I'm not quite sure how it is Christmas already !!  At first, it seems like it is so far away and then, it sneaks up on you and is here before you know it .. Michael, Lisa and I are back with our last minute Christmas cards for 2022 .. Enjoy !! Misty is taking a much-needed break this month. 

I'm a bit under the weather as I write this so I will only be listing the stamps I use .And then I will be settling down for a small winter's nap .. I hope that our cards have inspired you this past year and that you will continue to follow us in 2023.

Snowman to Go - Unity Stamp Company

Simple Little Joys - Unity Stamp Company

 Cuppa Christmas and Calm & Bright Printable -

 Mandy Ford Art & Illustration

Both cards are from :

October 2022 Stamp of the Month -

Close To My Heart

To see what my fellow elves have come up with for out last post of 2022, check them out here -

Michael Trent - World of Michael Trent

Lisa Reynolds Bzibziak -  Life of a BZscrapper

I hope that you all are staying safe and healthy and warm.. It is 21 lovely degrees here today and will be staying there overnight ..  We look forward to seeing you back here with the Crafty Elves in 2023 !!

Debra Davison / Meticulosity