Coffee, Casing DT, Stamplorations and Everything Else!

Well... I'm not sure how I"m gonna do it, but I'm popping in for a quick post this morning... quick?  I'm gonna try!  My main inspiration for this one is the Casing DT Link Up Party over at the Coffee Lovering Cardmakers Blog.  One of my favorite artists, Becca Cruger, created this beautiful card and the idea is to Case it... I mixed it up with a few other influences and you should definitely check out her creations on her blog and for sure follow her.  Just click on her name when you're done here, but here's Becca's card for now:

I changed it up just a bit... the sketch for Atlantic Hearts was so similar so I moved my cup and sentiment just a bit just for fun!  I used some pinks and pinkish reds in my design, the doily, the lacy border in place of the vertical lines... 

I used a different cup from Stamplorations, but the X's from the X's and O's inspired me to use this paper from Lil' Inker Designs that I got a while ago to paper piece my cup together... and I stamped some of the flowers from one of Becca's stamp sets over at Stamplorations, Bunnies & Beans, onto the cup.  I was going to use them for my flower cluster too, but I already had these Paper Sweeties ones cut and colored and they went perfectly so I used them...

I also used this Amazing word die from Stamplorations for some more vertical interest in place of Becca's strips...

I'm also playing along with the Stamplorations Things With Wings Linky Party, April's Theme and Sketch Challenge (I'm using the theme, Stamps and Wings) and the Never Ending Anything Goes Challenge.  I used a CDD butterfly die because I don't have the Stamplorations ones yet... but don't worry... I'll have those soon.. they are so beautiful and can you really ever have too many butterfly dies?  And I love the Strong Women sentiment stamp set by Becca also... so many uplifting words on this one... I knew I wanted to use it.

Quickly about my process... I started by watercoloring some paper using my Ken Oliver Colorbursts and my Gelli Plate.  When that was dry, I used the     stamp set from Stamplorations in a lighter pink and stamped over the watercolor.  Then I used a Tim Holtz lacy flowers stencil to add some Nuvo glitter paste over the top of that.  When that was all dry, I was ready to add all of the other elements.  I made a whole sheet of the watercolor so I have plenty left and I also cut my sentiment banner from it.

I also would like to take the opportunity to say thanks so much to Kat Scrappiness for my prize from the Coffee Lovers Hop!  I used it to buy this pretty doily die set by Gina Marie (which is awesome) and I also got those pretty clear flower shaped sequins that I used here... I got a few more things and you'll be seeing those here in the future!

I don't now if I accomplished short and sweet... maybe sweet :) but I used a lot of my favorites on this one and I'll be adding some more links later, but right now it's off to work I go... tax deadline is coming up and it's crazy there!  Thanks for letting me share my sanity keeper with you!  Now be sure to check out these challenges!