There is no better way to get back into the swing of things than with a swap full of delicious art! Before you read another word go grab a cup of coffee, flavored or not, just the way you like it best. Then sit back with this post and sip it slow. Take in the aroma of creativity that will swirl in the air as you drink in the artwork of these talented ladies from our Pennywise Arts Yahoo Group.
Our first cuppa comes from Cathy Varner. The brew in the top of her cup is a mix of brown, copper and silver opaque micro beads.
| I love the little details that Cathy incorporated in her page. The wild morning hair and fuzzy slippers add great fun to this design. |  |
Eunice Creswell is “Saving the world one cup of coffee at a time” with her earth friendly cup.
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Eunice created the steam using white cardstock between two pieces of O’So Sticky Tape with clear micro beads over all to create the fun illusion of hot steam rising. It might look fragile, but the curling steam has amazing durability due to the O’So Sticky. |
Jean Sunderman’s “Early Bird” definitely gets the freshest cup of coffee in the morning.
| Her micro beaded birdie is such a royal treat, second only to the crystal fun sugar cubes! |  |
This stack of mugs reminds me of my cupboard! Julie Imsland created her page of java by punching 9 coffee cups from decorative paper. Each cup is covered with O’So Sticky Tape and micro beads. Folks, at 10 players/pages that adds up to 90 beaded coffee cups! Wow! 
Don’t miss the detail of the little wooden shelf that they all sit on!
Karen Slusher expected to see lots of players shaking it up with shaker bead designs and was pleasantly surprised to learn that she was the only one.
Her cup features a unique shaker window featuring mocha (brown opaque) micro beads. “No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee’s frothy goodness.” Ah, yesssssss!
Next is Kathi Hall’s claim that “her coffee is so good, she even drinks it herself”! So many collage items add interest and discovery here.
Her big daisy features PWA’s newest bead baby, Iridescent Bubble Beads. The back of Kathi’s page is thickly embossed creating amazing texture!
This yummy design was swirled up by Kelli Green. Her java sports micro beaded brew with a scrumptious crema twirl.
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While they are hiding in the picture above I don’t want you to miss the darling dangling shrink plastic tags that Kelli attached to the handles of the cups. |
In case of a cafe emergency Lynn Lake has included a Starbucks Via as part of the “fat” in her design. Suede paper forms the liquid in the cup.
On the back Lynn wrote: “Great friends and a good cup of coffee. Enjoy both as frequently as possible.” I do agree!
Michele Aiello-Zendejas experimented with coffee grounds and embossing powder to create the coffee in her cup. The texture is awesome though sadly the embossing powder covered up the rich aroma of fresh ground coffee. Take a whiff of your own coffee now to simulate the effect.
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Sweet detail is exhibited in Michele’s Bubble Bead accents on the spoon and on the lip of the cup. |  |
Yes, you can almost feel the coffee jitters setting in with this great page by Sally Bowman. I love the effect that double stamping has here – it so clearly communicates the underlying intent.
And last but not least is my design which really represents the efforts of many. Due to my continued struggle with TOS I needed lots of extra help to pull this off. Thanks to all who helped inspire, loaned stamps, glued and tied – you know who you are and love and appreciate each of you so much.
What started out as an eight page book of it’s own quickly shrunk as time ran out. Eight down to three with a lot of goodness within. Cups were cut with SCAL and my Cricut which was a huge part of the work. The cover was stained with Tim’s Distress Ink and a watermark “spill” stamp. Sealing them with embossing powder helped make them durable and shiny.
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I love this element of heart shaped steam rising from the cup ‘o love. Red micro beads are held with Glossy Accents. |
Inside pages were distressed with different colors of Tim’s ink and crackle stamped. (Credit Hampton Art Stamps)
A hidden pocket holds a narrow tag. Look how just crimping the background layers adds incredible depth and texture!
I’m always so pleased with the collaborative effort that everyone puts into our quarterly fat book swap! Our Beadie Buddy artists are the best! If you are interested in joining any of our ongoing swaps, be sure to join us in our little Yahoo coffee house community for all the details!
