Sweet Life Cafe – mamasbrush

Coffee Pairs Nicely with Everything

A few months ago I saw one of those “coffee pairs nicely with silence” signs that are out there. Have you seen them? There are tons. I thought of my father-in-law. He likes silence! 🙂 Then I started thinking about my mom… she thinks coffee pairs nicely with EVERYTHING! So I did a search… and another. And another. It wasn’t out there! I was shocked. Surely more people love coffee THIS much!

So I set out to making one… but I wasn’t sure if what I came up with was THE one.

So I designed another… and another… and another.

Until I had 7 designs. Some are just slight variations of another, but I couldn’t decide which I liked better. I asked Husband… and Mom… and sister. Wouldn’t you know it, they all liked different ones.

So in the end, I decided to use them all, in one bundle of coffee goodness. Because, sometimes, silence doesn’t happen! There are 7 designs in black and white for cutting on your Cricut or Silhouette cutting machines. I picture these designs on canvas or wood in your coffee bar. I’m planning to make some of those signs to sell at Christmas market later this year!

I’ve also made those 7 designs with a touch of color for printing! Print and frame them, make them into stickers, or cards, or tags. Possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

You can find these in my Etsy shop now. And, as always, I want to offer my readers a 33% discount this week to celebrate their addition to my shop. Click here to get that discount automatically, or enter coupon code COFFEEPAIRS33 at checkout. (Follow my blog in the sidebar to hear about future sales!)

How are you going to use it? Pop over to my pin to share a pic of what you make with it! 🙂 I’d love to see it!

You can find me gathering here.

Save the Date Coffee Cups

Last year I shared this cute prototype for a save the date card we used for our cafe themed women’s retreat. Well, I just wanted to let you know that I have updated that post with all the templates I created and used to make it. I also included some tips to make your project even easier!

These would be great for save the date or invitations for cafe themed parties, retreats or weddings. You could also use this for thank you notes or even just a note of encouragement if you change the tag.

Click over to read the post and download the template files for your own.

If you use it, I’d love to see a pic. Just leave me a link so I can see!

Gathering here.

First I Drink the Coffee – Hand lettered quote

First I Drink the Coffee -- Hand Lettering

This is the last painting/ hand lettered piece for our cafe themed centerpieces. I am making centerpieces for 8 tables for the Women’s Retreat at out church and each one has a different framed art.

“First I drink the coffee, then I do the things.”

I saw this quote on Pinterest and couldn’t not make one. It’s too funny. I want to make a note pad with it (I found a tutorial for how to do that)… it’s on my list of things to make this year. I just think it lends itself to a “to do” list. What do you think?

Painted and hand lettered on 140 lb. watercolor paper with watercolor and ink.

Count your Blessings – Watercolor Coffee Bean Illustration

Count your Blessings Watercolor Coffee Beans

Have I mentioned yet that I don’t like coffee? It’s true. I don’t even like the smell… something my husband thinks is crazy. “People who don’t like coffee at least like the smell,” he told me one day several months ago.

Not me.

So I don’t, personally, think of coffee beans as blessings. But I know there are a lot of people out there who do. Every cup of coffee… every coffee bean is a blessing. This one is for you.

I’ve got a lot of coffee going on lately. As it turns out, I love illustrating coffee. It’s been a super fun personal project. As long as I can sip on my tea while I paint. 🙂

Original ink and watercolor illustration on 140 lb. watercolor paper.

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Cupcakes – Watercolor Illustration

This illustration is more on the “sweet” side than the cafe side. But who doesn’t like something sweet with their coffee?

It’s not the color scheme of the first set I tried to make. I am pretty happy with the way these turned out, but I do like other colors better. I’m sure that means I’ll be attempting cupcakes again in the future, but, for now, I am tied to a certain color scheme by the fabric (the one in these images and one other) that will be part of the centerpieces at the retreat.

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“Bear with one another in love” – Hand Lettered Watercolor Illustration

"Bear with one another in love" Hand lettered Ephesians 4:2 with illustrated Coffee cup

I began this concept as a tiny drawing in my sketch pad. I was sick with fever a couple weeks ago… sick enough that my husband stayed home from work to take care of me and all my responsibilities (there are 6 of them ranging from 2-11).

After breakfast I made my move from the table to the recliner, but on my way I grabbed a pencil and my sketch pad. I rarely have time to just sketch and play with ideas these days, and it was a delightful treat to have nothing else I was required (or capable of, I might add) to do but sit there and doodle (with my also sick 4 year old cuddling with me, of course.)

A couple of days ago, that little doodle made it’s way onto graph paper, and then finally to watercolor paper where the daunting job of adding color in a way that doesn’t mess up the whole thing awaited me. A night or two later and I was looking for just the right way to finish it off.

And there it is… “bear with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2

Original artwork in watercolor and artist pen on 140 lb. cold pressed watercolor paper.

Today Needs a Whole Latte Prayer – hand lettering

"Today needs more coffee and a whole latte prayer" hand lettered illustration

This piece has been grown and tweaked over the last few months. Just when I thought I knew how I wanted it or what I was going to do, something wouldn’t fit and I’d have to rework it.

I originally planned to do it on watercolor paper and use a wash for a more colorful background, but as I worked with the piece and saw holes where I wanted to add more visual interest, I decided instead on the little icon drawings. Those seemed to lend themselves more to colored pencils (another media I had on hand).

In the end, I am pleased with the simple look and clean lines of the black and white with just a couple pops of color. The piece was hand lettered in artist marker on card stock. The images were colored with colored pencil.

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Coffee and Friends… the perfect blend – hand lettering and watercolor illustration

This is another 5×7 hand lettered illustration for the women’s retreat centerpieces.

I found the quote on Pinterest (surprise surprise, I know), and early on, I saw the cups (or something similar) with their steam there as well, but the illustration and styling is my own.

I just love the coffee beans at the bottom. I was still trying to decide if I would add a boarder (which is funny, because I almost always do) when something just seemed missing. I think they brought just what the whole illustration needed, don’t you?

Original artwork done on 140 lb. cold pressed paper.

Let’s Meet Over Coffee ~God

Let's meet over coffee - Hand lettered Watercolor Illustration - invitation from God card

As I plan out the theme and decorations for the women’s retreat at our church next month, I could go way simpler! No one would notice if there were no illustrations or if I grabbed some printables online, printed and framed them. (In fact, the whole thing could end up looking better in the end if I did.) But I love to do this. Painting, that is. And illustrating. And frankly, sometimes I sit down to paint or draw and I come up blank (note: I was going to say “draw a blank” because I love me some puns, but I didn’t for your sake. Your welcome!)

(Shameless Plug: I have these over at my shop if you want one!)

So… I’ve made this my project with “Sweet Life Cafe” as my theme. I’m going to see how many I can come up with (there are 8 tables that need center pieces). It’s pushing me for creativity.

This is my second creation (or my third, I guess I’m posting out of order). It’s a 5×7 original watercolor illustration on 140 lb. cold pressed paper. I won’t say it’s perfect, but perfect isn’t my goal. As Shayda says, (she’s my teacher you know), if I wanted to capture this perfectly, I could snap a picture; “illustration is about representing [an] object in your own unique way.”

This hand lettered illustration came about as I was thinking though all the “but first, coffee” signs on Pinterest. I get that coffee is first for so many people, but I want to encourage a “Jesus first” mindset instead. This illustration was born out of that desire and I blended the two. If we are walking through the house blurry eyed early in the morning thinking, “but first, coffee”, then this is God’s little invitation… “Let’s meet over coffee!”

As you are savoring your morning coffee and letting it breath new energy into your morning, open God’s Word and let it breath new life into your whole day. It can do that!

I’m trying my hand at taking more beautiful pictures of my artwork. The quilt in the background is an unfinished one I’m making for my almost 6 year old girl.

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The Scriptures are not like cake. A Bread analogy.

At the end of February, the ladies from our church will be having our Women’s Retreat. I mentioned already that I shamelessly invited myself onto the committee and the other ladies have graciously allowed me to take on the decorations. We’re using a box retreat from Group called Sweet Life Cafe, so I’m trying to keep my decorations with that theme, but making it all as special as possible.

One of the things I like to do when planning a party, is to put as much as possible into the little details. I painted this little guy for one of those details. We’ll use it with the session that talks about bread. I saw the quote on Pinterest and knew at once I wanted to use it. I’ll scan it into my computer and resize it for printing. I’ll be printing one for each of the 60ish ladies attending.

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