I am happy to report that I had a better week than last week!
As you know, I have been thinking a lot about coffee lately. I’m working on a logo design for my Illustrator class that has to do with coffee. And I have a fun coffee clutch of fellow students and teachers I get together with everyday in between classes. We talk a lot about coffee and food and other silly things. I look forward to hanging out with them every afternoon, so I thought it would be fun to capture those moments.
I painted the background with my favorite watercolor crayons, doodled coffee words all over the background, cut out the cafe logo from the coffee cup sleeve, and added some white glitter paint over the cup for the creme (which looks green in that photo!).
On Saturday, Dave and I went to the botanical gardens for a shot of green plant life.
The conservatory is a glass pyramid filled with tropical paradise plants, flowers, a rushing waterfall, orchids and free-flying birds. The temperature was 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (between 18 and 26 degrees Celsius) with 60 percent humidity. It was just the shot we both needed! (I plan to share more photos this week.) The conservatory had a special exhibit about coffee, so it seems fitting that I make a card to reflect the day.
Again, I used my watercolor crayons to create a lush green background. I brushed a slightly wet brush in an upward stroke to create a stem or stalk direction. Then I drew the giant palm leaf with a marker, which I ended up going over with acrylic paint for a more dimensional effect, since some markers don’t adhere too well on these crayon-covered backgrounds. I framed the words to symbolize what we are longing for when we look through our windows – green plants!
Don’t forget to stop our Flickr group to see what Michelle and Sandra have been doing on their art cards.
Terri's Notebook 
I love your two new cards! The coffee one is very rich looking… one could say TASTY looking. 🙂
I love going to botanical gardens! Learning about plants and seeing all the different kinds there are is always a fun adventure. If you ever get out to LA, you should go to the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens. It’s amazing! I think I have a set of photos on Flickr of my pictures that I took there. It’s a gorgeous place!
Do they allow people to go live in the glass pyramid (only joking) but it sounds so heavenly with the free-flying birds. Oh how lovely to see lush greenness which you have captured so well in your card and I love the window frame to symbolise that you are waiting to see the beautiful greenery through your own window.
Love you coffee lovers card too – cutting the logo from the cup was a brilliant idea. Such a fun card this week :0)
You know, that brown card looks like it could be a fabric print. Spoonflower maybe?
The Denver zoo had a space like the conservatory with birds flying everywhere. I could have stayed there all day!
Thanks Vicki! That was exactly what I had in mind when I made that brown card, so I’m happy to hear you noticed. In my Illustrator class, we are learning how to do repeating patterns – so exciting!!
We do love to visit botanical gardens and conservatories, which I highly recommend in the dead of winter!
I love both your cards. Coffee one “thats me” Love my coffee. The plants look so green !! Can’t wait to see green again. Hopefully this week. All snow should be gone with all the sunshine we are to see this week. You are doing great. Just love seeing your work. Keep it up
Wishing you happiness this week
wow, coffee really is on your mind these days! loved the cards! and judging by that photo, i can’t wait to see more from your visit to the botanic garden.
Hello Terri,
I can smell the coffee from here!!!
Happy days.
Bev.xoxo
OOH! I second Vicki! I’d buy that fabric 🙂 I miss coffee. I gave it up over a year ago and I swear the last couple weeks I’ve been smelling it EVERYWHERE I go. ::sigh:: Oh well, you can hope and dream, right? Happy Valentine’s Day, Terri! I’ve gotta get my rear in gear and finish up (ok, start) my hubby’s present!
I’m so glad you are having a better week… and I’m truly enjoying seeing your creative process take shape here.
I always get inspired when I visit you Terri! I am sorry to say that I haven’t made a start yet on my journal cards, but as you saw on my blog I have made a start on a sewing journal :0)
I am totally addicted to 15 minutes play, I have now 16 7″ blocks made ….. all out of scrap bits and pieces ….. and I just can’t stop!!
Have a lovely crafty week,
Val xx Oxfordshire UK
Hi Terri
love the coffee theme of your card journal..i like my latte with vanilla.. your water colors are lovely and vibrant..
sandra