Painting with Coffee

Yesterday was my birthday and I spent part of the day with the kiddos and part of the day out on a date night with my hubby, but I also spent part of the day on my own doing what I like to do, which is creating something with my own two hands.  I share my birthday with my niece Maggie.  I remember when Maggie was about to be born my sister was asking if I would be happy or upset if we shared a birthday. Happy of course! And for more than the obvious reason of sharing a day with someone you love.  On my 16th birthday I lost my grandpa. Not just a family member you see once and a while but one I saw weekly my whole life until then and he was truly a wonderful grandpa, complete with the tricks of wiggly dentures he would move up and down to scare us,  fun bedtime stories, days at the lake and family dinners on Sunday. I was too sad that day to even celebrate my birthday and for years afterwards I would always remember him on my birthday and be a bit sad. i thought, why on my birthday?  But then I realized that it was actually a good day, because I will truly never forget him because of it. And I don't want to forget, so instead of being sad I realized I needed to be thankful and happy for his role in my life.  And then, many years later, I wont say how many :)   my sister had a baby girl on my birthday and I got to be there for her birth and I will always have that to remember on my birthday as well.
Maggie is currently working as a Barista, and she loves to paint.  So for her birthday card I knew it had to be a coffee painted birthday card.  I hope she liked it and her gift.
I know that it doesn't look like a Stampin' Up! project, and mostly it's not, but the paper is! as well as the Happy Birthday! And I used my Stampin' Up! Aqua Painters, so that is my excuse for posting it!

To paint with coffee I dry it out over a few days in a pallet to make my own coffee paint pots,  Shown are my coffee and Tazo Passion Tea paints.  The Stampin' Up! Aqua Painters are great and even though I have tons of paint brushes and many sizes, I just reach for the Aqua Painter, look at the tiny candle to see the detail you can achieve with it. I hope you will give Aqua Painters a try!!
Thanks for stopping by today!