Cup Runneth Over

Welcome friends - thanks for joining me today as we launch the newest Tic Tac Toe Challenge and I'm thrilled to be the featured designer! Seriously, this week's challenge "blends" some of my favorite things -- coffee (natch!) & autumn. The inspiration board is filled with elements that make you go hmmmmm...

There were so many possibilities that I was all over the place this week, yet managed to land squarely on two lines. However, I'm going to claim the far right: autumn colors (persimmon), dimension, and rounded corners. I think I can also say I hit the right-to-left diagonal: autumn colors, paper piece, and Free (interactive card). OK, here it is...

The photo above shows the interactive tag pulled up using the heart-shaped splash stick. Below shows the tag hidden under the lid.

Here's how I made that little pull tab:

This is the back side of the paper pieced coffee cup. I made "bumpers" with thin strips of foam tape - the bottom piece keeps the tag from falling too far down, and the two side strips keep the tag in place. The foam tape also gives the cup dimension on the already popped watercolor "notebook page" that's color washed with Stampin' Up! ink in Tangerine Tango and Cajun Craze -- blended to create a persimmon colored glaze.

This card will also be entered into the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop over on the Coffee Loving Cardmaker's blog. I hope everyone will go check out the Tic Tac Toe Challenge and see if you can create a card using some of these challenging elements -- can't wait to see what you make!!

Ooh La La

Bonjour, and welcome to another fabulous Tic Tac Toe Challenge! This week's inspiration board has so many fun elements to explore, so I really enjoyed designing my card using it. Here's the board:

I focused on the left row: acetate, dimension, and gold. However, the center row across (dimension, embellishment and die cut) are also part of my card! I bet you didn't imagine so many elements went into a card...without much effort.

Now, my biggest inspiration for the new technique I tried came from Jennifer McGuire's "stained glass window" cards she made featuring Gina K Designs' new release. I hadn't even heard of heat resistant acetate and I'd never imagined how cool it could make my card! Thank goodness for Amazon Prime and fast shipping :-)

I used a new-to-me stamp and die set from My Favorite Things. I put this adorable Paris-inspired set called Mon Cheri, which I'd been admiring for some time, and Jennifer McGuire's technique together and came up with this:

Since the Eiffel Tower image isn't solid, I used Fossilized Amber and Peeled Paint Distress Oxide Inks to create a colored panel to set beneath the heat embossed tower image I embossed onto the acetate. I didn't realize my gold embossing powder contained glitter, but that just inspired me to get my bling on!

I used a scrap of the Oxide background to create the "Merci" sentiment embellishment, paper pieced the young lady's dress and handbag, then finished it all off with amber bling -- more Autumn in Paris, than springtime in Paris.

Now it's your turn! Which elements inspire you? 

Create the Day Away!

My fellow Tic Tac Toe Challenge design team member, Peggy Noe, is hosting an event like nothing I've seen -- and it sounds fabulous! Do you live in the San Diego area -- or maybe you'd consider a craft weekend getaway? Interested in making handmade cards, learning new techniques, and enjoying a day away with other creative souls? Then this event is one you should check out!

For more information, go to CreateTheDayAway.com. Enjoy!