Cuppa Coffee, Cuppa Tea Inspiration | Collection Introduction by Sharyn Sowell

Hi, I’m Sharyn Sowell, back again to introduce a new collection of dies for Spellbinders. Every one of my dies is an exact reproduction of what I do by cutting paper freehand with a pair of ordinary scissors. It’s kind of like sketching with scissors instead of a pen. But you get the same results with a die so much faster!

I’m an occasional barista, and one morning as I worked a friend complimented me on the best caramel macchiato ever. I laughed and told her, “we love you so we make you great coffee!” Right then I knew I just had to design the Cuppa Coffee, Cuppa Tea collection. No kidding, I scribbled a bunch of ideas on some napkins and when I got home I sat right down and cut them out!

Cuppa Love was cut out remembering my comment to the friend I told, “we love you so much we make you great coffee!” In fact, why not make little cards from this die inviting your friends to a delicious shared cup? Because sharing is the best part of a good brew, isn’t it?

Cup and Beans – true story: I cut out a bunch of coffee beans and glued them all over a gift I’d wrapped with brown kraft paper. Made a tag for it from a stack of cups and took it to a party, where that jiffy gift wrap was admired. Because isn’t it next to impossible to find the perfect gift wrap for a man? And guess what was inside that box? A big jar of great coffee decorated with this same die. Coffee for the win.

The only thing nicer than that first whiff of your favorite blend is sharing it. Heart Latte reminds us of those friendships and how important it is to find time in a busy day to share a visit in person or by mail. And how quick is it to whip up a batch of note cards for a gift or for yourself to make keeping in touch easy?!?!

There’s an entire drawer in my tiny kitchen devoted to tea. It’s true- tea revives you! I designed Robin and Rosy Mug thinking about gathering friends for a warm cuppa. Then when I saw how versatile the dies were I bought a big package of yummy tea bags for a friend… opened it up and glued new tags over the old ones using the little roses for decoration. I tucked those sweet tea bags into a box I’d covered with plain paper, added roses all over the outside. I cut the robin and cup from heavy drawing paper and added a watercolor wash, then assembled the scene as shown on the front of the box. Less than an hour and I’d made a wonderful home made gift… perfect way to say happy birthday!

Stack o’ Cups  was my idea for an all occasion card because who doesn’t have a favorite beverage? I mean really, wouldn’t you love to open a little card like this and find a note inside? And maybe a gift card for a shared cuppa?

Coffee Woman believe it or not is inspired by my little Scandinavian grandma, who danced in the kitchen all the time! She taught me to paint and make delicious eats and love on people well. I hope you’ll dance in your kitchen just for pure joy and share a gift of love the way she did. Isn’t that the best way we can change the world for the better?

Tea Pots and Coffee Brewing  were snipped while looking at my grandma’s coffee and tea pots. They’re perfect used one by one (think place cards, gift enclosures or name tags) or in groups (I’m thinking they’d be the best border ever if I cut them from repositionable vinyl!) Cut a pair of each and glue together with a string or ribbon inside for a quick and easy garland.

Blooming Brew might be my favorite of them all. It’s the perfect size for a card and fancy enough that you don’t really even need to embellish much. Believe it or not, I sipped a cup of tea in the garden and forgot it as I worked long after it was completely cooled. This tiny beauty flew down and perched on that cup my grandma and I had painted together years ago. Those roses, the bird, the dainty cup… it feels so peaceful and sweet. There’s room for you to add a few words if you like, just right for any occasion.

I hope these dies draw you even closer to those you love best, and make for the happiest ever crafting.

I’d love to see what you make with any of the dies I’ve designed. Won’t you post a photo on Instagram or Facebook? Tag me on Instagram – SharynSowell and #Sharyn Sowell or Facebook Sharyn Sowell Studio. Let’s share the creative joy.

So grab an iced Americano or a caramel macchiato or your favorite Keurig cup… breathe in the aroma of a mug of Earl Grey or tuck a mint leaf into your Arnold Palmer and let’s get crafting.