{Make Your Own Mug} Coffee Scrub

I'm obsessed with this Little Paper Shop coffee & tea themed set, 'cause it can take on any look you feel like giving it. This time, it's turned into a little giftie: a body scrub to wake ya up & a card to match.

You can see the whole set here: {Make Your Own Mug}
And the Gallery is here.

The Coffee Body Scrub:

I used the coffee beans stamp from the set to make a label for a yummy coffee scrub. (Inspired by Martha Wake up Scrub recipe here, but I changed the recipe to use lemon lavender salt instead of sugar, since sugar bath products are not always so great for you...)



Step 1) Start with 1/4 cup salt (with a little coarseness to it.) This is lemon lavender salt from Victorian Epicure Selections.



Step 2) Add 100% pure peppermint oil. (You can add the amount you like. I like peppermint a lot, so I added 8 drops.)



Step 3) Add 1/2 cup olive oil (you could also use grapeseed oil or your favourite.)



Step 4) Add coffee grounds (that have just been brewed. I dried them out a little in the oven to avoid adding water to the mix.)



Step 5) Add 1/2 teaspoon pure Vanilla



Step 6) Stir it up



Step 7) Put it in a perty container (one that your hand will fit in--a wide mouth mason jar works nicely.)

You can refrigerate it or not. It will keep for 2 weeks (longer if you keep it in the fridge.)

As a hand scrub instead: Love to cook? (or know someone who does?) This also makes a great hand scrub for the kitchen. Coffee is a tried & true way to get garlic odours off of your hands. :O)

The Card:

There's ribbon on here! *GASP!* That's because the layout of this was inspired by the newest LPS sketch:

I made it square, though. :O) If you'd like to add your twist to it, come play along with us on the LPS blog.

Some Card Deets:

Paper Pieced Coffe Mug & Sentiment:

I can't stop paper piecing this set. This mug was really easy to cut out (You can just cut along side the mug to cut out the oval inside the handle. You'd never know it was cut when you add the mug to your card. Speeeedy! :O)

Inside the card reads: "You'd be a triple shot caramel macchiato with three sugars & extra whip cream"

The Cardstocks:

All of the cardstocks used here are my faves from Paper Temptress: The neutrals (if they can be called neutral when they have this much Pizazz) are from the Incandescent family (Nero & Candido.) They're ultra decadent Metallics with a felt finish ( a lovely woven texture.) The Nero is a rich black brown sparkling Coffee & the Candido is a classy Cream. You can see more Incandescent projects by the ultra talented Melanie here.

They Cuttlebug like a dream. Here they're on a card base made from my new favourite colour of PT Basis cardstock Golden Green (akin to SU's Kiwi Kiss but a shade less green, so it's super easy to coordinate.) It makes the perfect match with Basic Grey's hot new Dresden paper (from their Porcelain line.) You can check out all of the Basis Colours here.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day!

Quick Links:

New Releases at Little Paper Shop
LPS Blog
LPS Gallery

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Baa Baa Oink Oink Moo Moo (which translates as...)

I know, this is just WAY too silly, but I just giggle ever time I read it: "Baa Baa Oink Oink Moo Moo...translates as...Happy Birthday to You..." ROFL.

I don't generally try any clever phrasing, but I always admire the attention other stampers pay to their phrases. So this is my attempt at a barnyard witticism, LOL. Love those animal sounds (The Party Animals are by Pink Cat Studios.)

Here's the inside of the card:

Dig the chicks, hay? :O)

Supplies:

(From the Paper Garden Projects Farmyard Friends Stamp Kit)

Stamps: Animal Stack, 3 Chicks, baa, oink, & moo. (Designed by Pink Cat Studio)

Papers:

1 piece of Bazzill Kachina (teal) textured cardstock (11 x 5 1/2)
1 piece of Bazzill Kachina/Teal textured cardstock (5 by 1 1/4)
1 piece of Harvest Basic Grey patterned paper (aprx. 6 inch square piece)
3 pieces Wedding White cardstock (5 x 3 and 5x5 and a piece to print on)

Scraps of Bazzill Raven (black) textured cardstock (for sentiments)

Embellishments:
May Arts yellow woven diamond ribbon (5 1/2 inch strip & enough to tie a bow)
Wee yellow Button
Flower

Other Materials:
(from your stash or Paper Garden Projects)

Extra Wedding White Cardstock, if you like.
Extras of the Medium Paper Flower are available too
Scor-Pal
Tim Holtz Design Ruler
Scissors

For Animals:
Black ink
Copic Markers: Black, BG-15 Aqua, RV-11 Pink, E-49 Dark Bark & Y-15 Cadmium Yellow
watercolour pencil crayons
foam mounting tape
Tombow Monomulti

The Font is called Gungsuh (16 point)

How-To:



Step 1) Stamp & colour Farm Friends animal stack. (I used watercolour pencil crayons with Copic Markers: Black, BG-15 Aqua, RV-11 Pink, E-49 Dark Bark & Y-15 Cadmium Yellow to deepen areas of the image.)



Step 2) Cut the animals from the stack out (cutting them apart.) Cut the goose's foot into a bill on the Piggy's hat. I just love their cute little expressions and they look like they're dancing! heeheehee.



Step 3) Cut & Trim the basic gray paper: the shape of the wheat stalks makes a nice line to follow for a scallop (though they could be corn stalks instead if they're to scale with the Farm friends.) ;O)

Patterned Paper Cuts:
Thin Top Strip: 5 inches wide by 5/8 of an inch (or one wheat/corn stalk high)
Wide Bottom Strip: 5 inches wide by 3 1/8 inches high (or 5 stalks high)
Sentiment band Strip: 5 inches wide by 1 1/2 inches (or 1 and 1/2 stalks high)
Inside Card Strip: 4 inches wide by 1/2 an inch (or one stalk high)

Trim freehand with scissors along the top & bottom of the stalks for a nice scallop effect (the paper is rustic so no need to worry about perfect cutting.)

Cardstock Cuts:
5 1/2 inch square card made from Kachina (teal) Bazzill textured cardstock (11 x 5 1/2 folded in two)
Wedding White cardstock measuring 5 inches by 3 inches
Wedding White mat (for inside) 5 by 5 inches




Step 4) Stamp animal sounds: "baa baa oink oink moo moo" onto Wedding White cardstock and cut them out whimsically. Adhere them to the Bazzill Raven (black) textured cardstock.



Step 5) Make black mats (by cutting around the animals sounds.)



Step 6) Make sentiments for bottom & inside of card (Print them from your Computer, adhere to black cardstock, and cut as above.) If you'd like the word doc I used, just let me know: (melstampz@gmail.com)

The card assembly:



Step 1) Fold a 5.5 inch card from an 11 x 5.5 piece of that Bazzill Kachina cardstock (the lovely teal) & Add white piece of the White Wedding Cardstock (5 inches wide by 3 inches high)



Step 2) Adhere the thin strip of the Harvest Basic Grey paper (5 inches wide by 5/8 of an inch or one wheat or corn stalk high) on top of the White cardstock (at the top of the card.)



Step 3) Adhere the largest piece of the Harvest paper (5 inches wide by 3 1/8 inches--or 5 stalks high) to the base of the card (over the bottom of the white cardstock.)



Step 4) Create the band: Take the small band of the Bazzill Kachina (teal) cardstock and adhere the medium band of Harvest paper to the top of it (so the stalks stick off.)

The Kachina/Teal textured cardstock is 5 inches by 1 1/4 and the Harvest paper is 5 inches wide by 1.5 inches --or one and 1/2 stalks high)

Add a piece of the May Arts yellow woven diamond ribbon over the bottom of the wheat stalks to cover the seam. (5 1/2 inch strip of ribbon)



Step 5) Stick on the animal sounds [baas oinks & moos onto the backs of the animals hands (hooves)] :O) (Tombow Monomulti is very forgiving if you let it dry a bit, before adhering & it will let your reposition if you need to for fit.)



Step 6) Add foam mounting tape to the backs of the animals & their "baa oink moo" signs too-Stick them to the card.



Step 7) Adhere the sentiment ("which translates as") onto the band (under the ribbon so it sticks out the bottom.)

Add the band to the card with foam mounting tape.



Step 8) Make bow & flower: Tie a bow & adhere the tiny yellow button to the middle; adhere it to the medium sized paper flower & stick it onto the ribbon

The Inside of the Card:

Step 1) Stamp 3 chicks on bottom of white cardstock (5 x 5 inches square)



Step 2) Colour the chicks & draw sticks in their hands (um wings, heehee) I used a Copic Multiliner.



Step 3) Adhere the 3 signs ("Happy," "Birthday," & "to You") on chicks' sticks



Step 4) To finish, adhere the smallest strip of patterned paper over the bottom left hand corner of inside mat (it's 4 inches wide & 1/2 an inch--or one stalk high.)

Hope you have a really beautiful day!

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Animal Stack Sketch Book (with pencil & image pockets)

The Image:

This sweet animal stack image is from the new Paper Garden Projects Stamp Kit: FarmYard Friends. It's tucked in a pocket that's made from Basic Grey Weather Vane paper (that comes in the kit too) and a Clear Card box (which you can also find at Paper Garden Projects--in 1/2 or 1 inch thicknesses.)

The Pocket:

The larger pocket (holding the pencils) is made from fun foam. It's a super affordable (and speedy) way to make a personalized gift for artistes young & old, (since you can find the sketchbooks on sale for around 5 dollars & the fun foam is a dollar.) I wish you could feel the fun foam after it's embossed: it feels like suede! You can just stick the pocket together with Oh So Sticky tape (or you can emboss it & stitch it first.)

Potential Uses:

Of course, you can use that pocket for anything: stamp images of the Farm Friends & tuck them in there to give to a stamping friend or as a child's gift for a special colouring book....fill it with cards you've made...tuck a note pad into it...

I plan on using this as a sketch book for stamping ideas; I'm hoping the coloured pencils will help me think more visually...

Here are the schtuffs to make it:

Supplies:
(From the Paper Garden Projects Farm Friends Stamp Kit)

Stamp: Animal Stack stamp (made by Pink Cat Studio)

Papers:
1 piece of Weather Vane Basic Grey patterned paper (6 inches by 4 inches)
1 piece of Wedding White Cardstock (5 and 3/4 x 3 and 3/4)

Other Materials:
(from your stash or Paper Garden Projects)

For Pockets:
Clear Card box (for acetate pocket)
Fun Foam (1 large piece)
Oh So Sticky tape
Cuttlebug embossing folder (I've used Floral Fantasy)
Scissors
A Tim Holtz Design ruler
Paper piercer, needle & thread (black)

For Animal Stack:
Black ink
Copic Markers: Black, BG-15 Aqua, & RV-11 Pink
watercolour pencil crayons
White Marvy Uchida Puffy Velvet marker

The Butterfly is cut from the Urban Prairie 6x6 paper pad & adhered with Tombow Monomulti & glittered with a Sakura Stardust pen.

How-To:



Step 1) Cut fun foam pieces to fit Sketch book (the sketch book I used here is 11 & 2/8 inches by 8 & 3/4 inches, so I've cut the fun foam pieces to measure):

A) Back of pocket: 10 & 3/4 by 8 inches (Or 2 pieces so the piece that shows will fit in the Cuttlebug: 2 2/8 inches x 8 and 6x8)
B) front pocket: 6 by 8 inches
C) Front pocket strip: 3/4 by 8 inches

Step 2) Embellish the fun foam:



A) Cuttlebug fun foam pieces. (Since a lot of it is covered by the image, it's okay to overlap.) This uses the Floral Fantasy embossing folder.



B) If stitching, pierce the fun foam. A Tim Holtz Design ruler is nifty for piercing



C) Sew the fun foam together for decoration. I did it in this order:

1st) Adhere the thin strip onto the pocket front & stitch it.
2nd)Adhere the front pocket onto the back & stitch it too.



Step 3) Adhere the foam to the sketch book (Oh So Sticky tape holds it really nicely. It's surprisingly durable & once it's on there it's not budging.)



Step 4) Cut clear window from Clear Card box to make an acetate pocket (to measure around 6 inches by 4 inches.)



Step 5) Cut a frame from Basic Gray paper Weather Vane Basic Grey patterned paper (to measure 6 inches by 4 inches.) You can use scissors or an exacto blade/ hobby knife to create a wavy frame line.



Step 6) Adhere window to back of patterned paper frame



Step 7) Make sure the acetate is free of any particles or paper bits...



Step 8) Stick the frame & acetate window onto the front of the foam pocket on sketchbook (only adding adhesive to 3 sides--both sides & the bottom--leaving the top with no adhesive so it's open and makes a pocket.)



Step 9) Stamp the Farm Friends animal stack



Step 10) Colour the animals however you like.

These guys were coloured using a Copic Marker on Watercolour technique: Using watercolour pencil crayons for the gereral colouring gives a soft blending & the deeper areas of colour are brightened with matching Copic Markers.

Combining watercolour pencils & Copics is a fast way to get the rich colour of Copics but also have easily blended areas. (It might be a good technique if you're new to Copics, if you only have a few colours, or if you just want the best of both worlds!) :O)



Step 11) Slide farm animal stack into pocket. Since it's a pocket, you can switch out the image whenever you want.

May your Crafting be Fantabulous!

Quick Links:

FarmYard Friends Stamp Kit
Cathy's Blog
Tracy's blog
:O)

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