Easter Treat Cups

Easter fun at The Cutting Cafe!

One of the things I miss about having young children in our home during Easter is that the Easter bunny doesn't visit. We've all outgrown him so if we want candy we have to make our own baskets. What is really sad is when your kids say "you don't have to make me a basket anymore." Now I wish they'd ask me IF I'd like a basket because this chocaholic is not going to turn down candy, ever. Thankfully, Regina created Easter Treat Cup cards which are perfect for older kids / people with a sweet tooth, like me and the hubster. 

I created this card for him and I'm going to fill it with "bunny droppings" for a little humor. He's always teasing me and I know he'll get a chuckle out of it. Of course I'll have a stash of Reese's Pieces for him to munch on and I plan to cook a wonderful Easter meal for us to enjoy after church to balance out all the candy. :-) 

The sentiment is from the Bunny Treat Cup Card set, one of 3 sets offered, in the Easter Treat Cup Cards file. I chose to have the bunny face forward on my card but you have the option to have him face backward as well. The "clouds" I used are actually the bunny's fluffy tail which you'd add to the front of the treat cup if using the backward view. I used a MS grass border punch but there's also grass included in the file. You can see below the different options and a Bunny Treat Cup card designed by Regina Easter with the front and side view.

Designed by Regina Easter

Designed by Regina Easter 

A slide inserted (included) allows the recipient quick and easy access to the candy by pulling the tab. These are a lot of fun to make and every time I give someone a treat cup card it puts a smile on their face which makes me a happy girl. :) 

Don't forget that Regina has opened up a sister site - The Cutting Cafe Shop - where she sells paper pads, ribbon, embellishments. clear acrylic stamps, kits and more. You can find more Easter inspiration by TCCS design team here using Regina's stamps and for cutting files...templates...printable stamp inspiration visit here tomorrow, the 21st, to see what The Cutting Cafe design team created. 

Happy Palm Sunday and don't forget that Easter is next Sunday!

Lisa xx

F is for Frills or No Frills

Our new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge is 

~ F for Frills or no Frills ~ 

which is basically a ruffled ribbon / trim. Helen added a pretty rosette to her DT card and that works as well. One more thing, be sure to tell us in your blog post whether you chose frill or no frill. 

For my card I used ruffled gingham trim and layered two pieces for a very frilly look. A fun designer paper by Recollections creates a nice background for my stamped gingerbread house and the sentiment was also part of the stamp set. A large button with pink twine and a band of Flamingo liquid pearls complete the embellishments.

SPONSOR

Sweet Stamps

Prize is a $10.00 gift certificate to the online store.

We'd love to have you join our challenge!

Hugs,

Lisa

Incoming Christmas Pocket Letters

 

Yes you read my blog title post correctly. 

I'm a bit late with sharing the pocket letters I received from my Pocket Letter Pals last December. There was a lot going on in my personal life and even though I dropped the ball I wanted to share them now because each pl I receive is special to me. 

The letter above is from my Merry Christmas Group swap partner from Utah. I love all of the stamping and coloring she did on the pockets. :) Thank You caffeinemah!

 The letter below is from my pal in Missouri.

She reached out to me at PLP's and asked if I'd like to swap. I'm so glad we did because I love her pl and the delicious candy she sent as well. :) Thanks Charli!

 This letter is from my pal in Connecticut.

It was our second swap with the first being a Halloween themed pl. From the handmade knit tassle to the cupcake wreath I love it all. It didn't hurt that she also sent some peppermint bark for me to munch on as well. :) Thanks Kristine!

Last but not least is the pocket letter that I received from my pal in Illinois.

Monica reached out to me to see if I'd like to do a recycled Christmas card swap in January. I agreed and this is the one I received from her. I love the dachshund in the top right pocket, he's just too cute. Thanks artgirl4040 (aka Monica)!

With this post I am officially caught up with Christmas, Valentine's, January and February incoming pocket letters. I'm sorry it has taken so long to get these posted on my blog. I learned in late December that my younger sister was dying of terminal cancer and everything became a bit of a blur. Reality can set in hard sometimes and it makes us take a step back. To be totally honest I couldn't appreciate these fully when they were received because they were reminders of what she would never have again, another Christmas-Valentine's, January....

It has been good for me to go back, look through each and every one of these incredible pocket letters and take in the the time, love and creative effort these wonderful pals put into them. There is a lot wrong in this world....a lot of pain...and suffering...but there is good as well. One of the places I find good is in this community of pocket letter pals. I guess it's why I didn't let go of it when everything turned upside down. Through this group I've forged friendships which I know will carry on, with people from all over the world. It's a good thing and it's even better when times are tough! My friends have faithfully prayed for me and my family, sent encouragement our way and blessed us beyond measure. 

So to all of my Pocket Letter Pals and my Facebook pal, Aparna, thank you!

You make my world brighter!!

As for my sister, she's in heaven now with her Lord. There's no more suffering, only joy and for that I am grateful.

Lisa

xoxo 

Incoming January and February Pocket Letters

I'm back to share the remaining incoming pl's I received from my Pocket Letter Pals in January and February. The letter above is from my pal, Katrin, in Germany and I'm so glad she reached out to me and wanted to swap. She knows I love rabbits, and white ones in particular, so she created this adorable rabbit for me and placed him in this whimsical mixed media scene. I can't tell you how much I love it Katrin, thank you!

This pocket letter is from my pal, Bonnie, and we were swap partners for the Fun with Snowman Group Swap. I love the variety of snowmen, thank you Bonnie!

This pocket letter is from my first Australian pal, Sonia, and we were swap partners for the Winter Fun-Snowflake Group Swap. I love it Sonia!

My friend, Mary, and I were partnered for the Baking Group Swap and this is the adorable pocket letter she sent me. I love it, thank you Mary!

This winter themed pocket letter is from my Facebook pal, Aparna, in India. This was our second swap and I'm currently working on her third pocket letter. I love having friends all over the world. It makes me realize that we're basically all the same. Thanks Aparna for my fabulous pocket letter!

This beautiful pocket letter is from my group swap partner, Jennifer, for the What's in a Name? swap. We were to share the etymology of our partner's name and characteristics associated with it. I love the design of her letter and she really went above and beyond when creating this one for me. Thank you Jennifer!

Now you can see why I am enjoying being part of the Pocket Letter Pals community. On a separate note, this past Christmas was a difficult one for me and during the chaos I totally forgot to share my Christmas incoming pocket letters...so I will be sharing those tomorrow. Even though I'm terribly late I feel it's important to share every pl I receive. I hope my pals will forgive me for dropping the ball and will enjoy seeing them on my blog now. :)

Happy Friday everyone!

Lisa xx

Incoming Valentine Pocket Letters for February

I'm a bit late today but I'm gonna go with better late than never. In fact I should have shared these last month but February wasn't the best month for me personally. Real life took it's toll and I totally spaced on sharing the Valentine pocket letters that my pals from Pocket Letter Pals sent me. So today is the day and as you can see I have some really awesome pals. There's no favorite because I absolutely love the creativity behind each and every one. The pocket letter above is from my pal, Natasha, from England and I love her style. It was filled with goodies and she also gave me a beautiful floral hair pin plus a wire rose she made by hand. It's a lovely pocket letter and I can't thank you enough Tasha (her name at PLP's in case you want to swap with her as well). 

The next pocket letter is from my pal, Glenda, in Florida. We've swapped several times and I love the detail she added to each pocket. 

The adorable ladybug banner is so cute. Thanks Glenda!

This pocket letter is from my new pal, Nori, and it included fabric and mixed media. Am I a lucky girl or what to receive this awesome pocket letter. I'm excited that we arranged another swap for Easter! Thanks Nori!

This pocket letter is from my pal, Mary, in Florida and it's our 3rd swap. Not only did she send me this fabulous pl she also made a handmade book for recording my personal and group pl swaps. She always adds a little something extra and although she doesn't have to do that I appreciate her kindness. Mary is a sweetheart and I adore this pl! Thanks Mare :)

Last but certainly not least is a pl from my new pal, Cherise, in Michigan. I love the fun papers she used and the sweet little banner she added. She also included a metal heart ornament as a keepsake. I love this pl Cherise, thank you so much!

That updates my Valentine incoming pocket letters from my pals at Pocket Letter Pals. Tomorrow I'll be sharing more incoming pl's from January and February. 

Hugs,

Lisa

Black and White Mini Pocket Letter

Happy Hump Day!

Today's share is a mini pocket letter with a Black and White theme. In the group swap I participated in we were tasked to use these two colors with either a pop of silver or gold. As you can see I chose silver and we were also free to use bling so it made an appearance as well. 

The above photo is the front of my pocket letter and below is the back. When working with the smaller pl's I like to decorate both sides. :)   

I used black polka dot embossed cardstock by Bazzill for the outer pockets and a small diamond dp by The Paper Studio on the middle pockets. Details were kept to a minimum to keep with the elegant theme I was going for. The dress form images and sentiment are from a stamp set I won a few years back for a challenge. Sorry to say this is the first time they've seen ink but it won't be the last. 

Black and white is one of my favorite color combo's and I love to mix it with a pop of color. I like the way it turned out but even better so did my new pal, Deb. My finishing touches were to add silver metallic washi tape to the spine and a pretty ruffled black lace trim with bling to the front and a black/silver metallic ribbon to the back. 

Tomorrow I'll be back with my incoming Valentine pocket letters. Yes I know V-Day is over but I was dealing with a bout of pancreatitis in January and February and some things just did not make it to my blog. I always like to share the pocket letters that my pals make me with all of you so tomorrow I'll be catching up on Valentine's and then on Friday I'll be sharing the remaining incoming pl's from January and February. That way I can get back on track. :) 

Take care,

Lisa 

Steampunk Spells Pocket Letter

Hello again! 

I have my second steampunk inspired pocket letter to share with you today and I'm excited about this one. A few years ago G45 introduced Steampunk Spells and I immediately fell in love with it. When the group swap at Pocket Letter Pals came up - Steampunk ~ Victorial Cool - I knew I wanted to use this paper collection and the incredible Victorian woman with steampunk flair featured in it. The collection was used exclusively on my pl and it went to my new pal in France, Virginie. She hasn't received it yet (don't know what is taking so long) but hopefully it will appear in her mailbox this week. :)

There was a lot of fussy cutting and layering on this pocket letter but I love the dimension it added to it. Since hot air balloons are one of my fave things they had to make an appearance. I should note that this is not the traditional 9 pocket letter. Rather I approached this as a story board and built up the layers using a 4 pocket protective page with black chipboard (cut to fit each one). It offered a sturdy base and hopefully kept the mail system from bending it in transit. On top of that I layered a dp (cogs) from the collection on each chipboard section. Fussy cut flowers were added next and glued in place. Then I started addressing the top of the pocket letter. I cut out a decorative frame, fussy cut more flowers and balloons, then arranged everything like I wanted and used double stick tape and foam dots to adhere. The lady riding her bicycle was fussy cut and Stickles were added for a touch of sparkle to her coat and belt. Chipboard cogs by Dusty Attic were altered with craft paint and ink and glued in place. I added cog metal elements by Tim Holtz to several of the chipboard pieces and to the fan of the large balloon. My finishing touches were to add the Prima bling with rose, a band of Buttercup Liquid Pearls around the edge of the frame, and gold washi tape to the spine. 

There's a bit of glare in the left corner but hopefully you can see the paper underneath. The bling was applied on top of the protective sheet as were the small balloon (left) and fussy cut flowers. I did not use the wings that were attached to her in the collection. I chose instead to use metal wings by Tim Holtz which I altered with black, gold and silver craft paint.  

Hopefully you can see the layering of the flowers in this photo. 

This was such a fun pocket letter to create for my pal and I really hope she likes it! I made her a separate bag of goodies as the pockets can't be opened. It was filled with crafty treasures for her to enjoy. Tomorrow I'll be sharing another pocket letter but this time it's a mini with a Black and White plus silver/gold theme. Hope you'll drop by and check it out. If you want to see my first steampunk inspired pocket letter simply scroll down and you'll also find a link to PLP's if you're interested in joining the fun. :)

Have a wonderful day,

Lisa xx

Steampunk Debutante Pocket Letter

Hello and Welcome!

I have a steampunk inspired pocket letter to share today that I made for my new pal at Pocket Letter Pals. I'm so happy she loves it and that my choice of papers - G45's Steampunk Debutante - is a favorite of hers. The paper is so pretty it did not need much in the way of embellishment so I kept things on the simple side.

On her greeting pocket I stamped Hello Friend, fussy cut a teal rose, stamp and band of pretty butterflies and a pretty lace trim was the final touch. 

This lady is Pretty (stamp) and she needed no further embellishment. 

For my final "single" pocket I stamped a butterfly in Archival Sepia, fussy cut a stamp and rose with leaves and glued in place then added a band of beautiful gold trim.

Because the Steampunk Debutante paper collection by Graphic 45 has some really beautiful scenes I wanted to display two of them on my steampunk inspired pocket letter. The first one features this gorgeous lady.

She needed no embellishment so the only thing I added was a band of Bisque Liquid Pearls.

Another fabulous dp in this collection that nails the Steampunk-Victorian theme we were going for. I added a band of pretty gold trim to the bottom pocket. For the spine I covered with with gold washi tape, added 3 velvet brown brads for her to use on future crafty projects and tied a tag (from the collection) in the center. Her goodies were tucked in the back pockets. We're planning another swap for May and guess what? Same theme. :)

Thanks for looking today! I'll be back tomorrow with my second steampunk inspired pocket letter for a group swap I participated in at Pocket Letter Pals. 

See you tomorrow,

Lisa xx

Shades of Green

It's a celebration of all things green at The Cutting Cafe!

With St. Patrick's Day around the corner I decided to make a card for my hubby using the 4 Leaf Clover Trio Shaped Card...Template...Cutting File. If you click the link you'll see that you can create a shaped card using this file however I chose to use the 4 leaf clover templates on mine. As with every set Regina designs there are alternative ways to use each file and it also includes sentiments for St. Patrick's Day.

More green inspiration is available with these templates...printable stamps...cutting files.

4 Leaf Clover Trio Shaped Card

4 Leaf Clover Shaped Card

Lucky Sentiment Clover Set-Printable File 

Don't forget about The Cutting Cafe's sister website- The Cutting Cafe Shop where Regina now offers clear acrylic stamps, paper pads, embellishments, kits and more. Check out the Authentique Charmed 6x6 paper pad and Shades of Green Ribbon Set for your "green" project needs. 

Thanks for looking!

Lisa xx

All About Embossing

Do you like to emboss? 

If you do then you'll enjoy our latest challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge. 

Embossing - Wet or Dry

It's your choice or you can live dangerously and use both!

SPONSOR

Wild Rose Studio

Prize is this lovely Snow Flourish Craft Die. 

I went with dry embossing for my CAS style card and it features a snowflake Cuttlebug embossing folder. I love the texture it adds to my card!

You can enter any project as long as it relates to our current challenge and it's Christmas themed. For more inspiration visit the main challenge blog and see what my teamies created. Looking forward to seeing your amazing creations!

Hugs,

Lisa