Coffee at The Shabby Tea Room?

It's a strange coupling of challenges this evening.  I was lucky enough to win Isabella's Challenge last week so I invested my gift certificate in a couple of lovely new images, one of which I decided to use for this week's challenge. 

The Shabby Tea Room's sketch challenge was interesting this week too, so I decided to combine the two, making it coffee time at the Shabby Tea Rooms, I guess! 

Image: Isabella's Sketchbook 'Coffee and Chocolate'

Papers: DCWV 'Linen Closet'; October Afternoon 'Thrift Shop'

Tools: Martha Stewart punch; small flower punch (not EK Success though!!); Floral Punch leaf spray; white pen.

I love the retro/vintage feel to this digistamp - and the quirky but true sentiment.  Isabella's Challenge was actually 'favourite food' this week, but there is mention of chocolate here, so I think I'm safe! 

I took inspiration from Isabella's rendering of this image on her blog and coloured up the image with my Copics.  I then used a light coloured Prisma pencil to add the 'steam' over the top.

I chose to use a piece of my new October Afternoon papers to mat the image - it is such a cute paper, very retro - and then set this off against a much more geometric background paper from DCWV.  I layered ribbon to give two-tone stripe to echo the bow at the top of the image, then made some little red flowers to pick up the motif on the centre paper.  I'm not 100% sure what little red flowers have to do with coffee and chocolate, other than the fact that I happen to like them also!

By the way, in case any of you are interested, Isabella is currently searching for her first DT members - check out her post here if you're interested in having a go.  And why not buy yourself a couple of images and enter her challenge too! It's good to support our newbies!

Well, long day, hard day and dinner with a friend tonight too, so I'm very tired.  Still, it's Friday tomorrow and then the weekend will be here - craft time!

Happy crafting.

xx