Coffee and Tea

No matter whether you prefer coffee or tea, I have something for you this morning!  I've got both a coffee and a tea themed card for my start on the July Viva la Verve sketches.
 
Here's my card for week one.  I went pretty clean and simple with this coffee themed card using an image and sentiment from the Verve's Better with You stamp set.

I used both sides of a piece of patterned paper for the panels on the cardfront. Each panel is matted on a piece of Soft Suede cardstock, then set on a kraft panel.  I machine stitched around the panel's edges to add interest, then set it on a Soft Suede card base.

The "thanks a latte" sentiment is stamped on a cream oval panel. It's layered on a Soft Suede oval, then attached to the cardfront overlapping both patterned paper panels.  I stamped the set's to-go cup image on a scrap of cream cardstock and shaded it a bit with Copic markers, then cut it out and added it to the card with foam tape.  

Materials Used:
Better with You stamp set (Verve Stamps); Memento Rich Cocoa ink (Tsukineko); markers (Copic); Soft Suede, Very Vanilla, and Crumb Cake cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Indie Chic-Nutmeg "Hanging Out" Rainbow designer paper (My Mind's Eye); oval dies (Spellbinders); brown twill (?); sewing machine; foam tape

Here's my card for week 2's sketch.  Since I already had the Better with You set out, I thought I'd try to use it again, but this time for a more feminine tea-themed card.

I started with patterned papers from a Teresa Collins paper pad.  The busier pattern covers most of the pink cardfront.  The pink and cream striped paper (and the solid pink paper) are matted with cream cardstock, then attached to the cardfront. 

I stamped the set's "you're my cup of tea" sentiment in a pale pink ink on a cream circle and added that to the cardfront.  A strip of matching pink ribbon runs across the bottom of the panel, just underneath the sentiment.  I stamped the set's teacup image on a scrap of pink cardstock and cut it out.  To add interest to the cup, I did a little paper piecing on the bottom with a scrap of the striped paper.  The cup's attached to the cardfront with foam tape.  For a final fun and feminine touch, I used a section of a pearl flourish as steam coming from the cup.  It adds a little dimension and doesn't get lost against the patterned background like a stamped image would have.

Materials Used:
Better with You stamp set (Verve Stamps); Sweet Blush ink, Sweet Blush cardstock, Sweet Blush Grosgrain ribbon (Papertrey Ink); Spring Fling 6x6 paper pad (Teresa Collins); Very Vanilla cardstock (Stampin' Up!); circle dies (Spellbinders); pearl flourish (Recollections); foam tape

And, finally, here's week 3's card.  I put the drink themed set away and went for a simple birthday card for this one.

I used the birthday sentiment from the Making a Statement set as my focal image.  It's stamped in dark gray ink (love, love, love the new Memento Gray Flannel ink!) on a lighter gray panel. 

I took the card's trendy blue, gray, and yellow color scheme from the floral patterned paper I used to cover most of the light gray card base.  I used another paper from the same collection, a dotted yellow one, for the smaller panel on the cardfront.  A strip of blue cardstock with a notched edge is set on the dotted paper.  I dressed it up a double line of clear crystals. 

Once the pieces were in place, I wrapped the card with some yellow baker's twine.  The sentiment panel is attached over the twine with foam tape, hiding the "messy" part where the twine twists and overlaps.

Materials Used:
Making a Statement stamp set (Verve Stamps); Memento Gray Flannel ink (Tsukineko); Soft Stone cardstock (Papertrey Ink); So Saffron and Baja Breeze cardstock (Papertrey Ink); 6x6 paper pad (My Mind's Eye); circle dies (Spellbinders); yellow baker's twine (The Twinery); clear crystals (Recollections); foam tape