Growing in Unity Blog Hop

Welcome to the Growing in Unity Blog Hop. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog again. I enjoyed my week and all the wonderful comments and encouraging words that were left about my creations. It certainly helped with my nerves as this was my first time being a GIU girl.

If you missed my week, please take a moment and look through my creations. I felt that the cards I created that week were a reflection of myself. This stamp set is no exception. I really enjoy summer weather, or any kind of weather that allows me to wear my flip flops. I am frequently found in sneakers for work, but flip flops are my next favorite choice for footwear. The paper used on this card was also featured in one of my GIU cards. I love pattern matching and this paper pack has some fun designs that can easily pair up for a quick layout.

Hop along to the other Growing in Unity blogs and see their creations...

Amanda Rhodes

Michelle Peters Kister

Iona Unny

Cindy Gress Messer

Vickie Yeakley 

Eileen Mathys (you're here!)

Stasia Sloma

Laura Mooney

Stamps:
Flip Flop Happy (Unity Stamp Company)

Paper:
Flirty Flamingo (Stampin Up)
Vintage Cream (Papertrey Ink)
Just Be You (Echo Park)

Ink:
VersaFine Clair Nocturne (Unity Stamp Company)

Accessories:
Clear Embossing Powder (Unity)
Brother ScanNCut (Brother)

Whole Love Story

This card was created as part of the one layer challenge at Unity Stamp Company. I initially struggled with the idea of giving a card depth on just one layer of paper. I had several ideas in mind, but none that really seemed better than the other. Inspiration comes in the strangest forms, weirdest places, or when we least expect it.
Crafting was the last thing on my mind when I was having dinner with my in laws the other night. My brother in law is a very talented photographer, and during dinner his hobby came up in conversation. The term “vignette” came up in the discussion and it wasn’t until the next morning that I decided that would be how I would add depth to my card.
I settled on a portrait style stamp and die cut an oval to be the mask over the stamped image. I sponged the distress oxide around the oval and once that was done I colored in the image with my Copic markers.

Stamps:

Whole Love Story (Unity Stamp Company)

Paper:

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Ink:

Gina K Jet Black Amalgam Ink (Unity)

Black Soot Tim Holtz Distress Oxide (Blitsy)

Accessories:

Copic Sketch Markers (Jerry's Artarama)

Spellbinders Oval Die Cuts

Beautiful Day

Life has been so busy for me over the last two months that I pretty much resolved to limiting my purchases and using the stamps I have on hand. Haven't we all said that before? I was saving all sorts of ideas to Pinterest, adding items to online wishlists, but my crafting time was limited. I was excited to find myself with a full morning off this past week. I had lots of ideas running around my head... I just need to grab a couple as they went by and get started.

I have seen lots of ideas with this stamp set, but my main problem was deciding between the rose and the butterfly. I already had my layout in mind, and when I stamped both images the rose won out. I liked the elegant look of the simply stated background paper and the pop of color coming from the flower. Yellow roses symbolize friendship, so that is the color I chose to use on this card.

Stamp:
Beautiful Day (Stampin Up)

Paper:
True Black (Papertrey Ink)
Stampers Select White (PTI)
Petal Passion DSP (Stampin Up Retired)

Ink:
Memento Tuxedo Black (SU)
VersaFine Clair Nocturne (Unity Stamp Company)
Copic Sketch Markers Various (Jerry's Artarama)

Accessories:
Brother Scan N Cut (Brother)
Triple Banner Punch (SU)
Clear Embossing Powder (SU)

Friends of Unity July Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Friends of Unity July Blog Hop. This month the theme is Christmas in July. If there is one thing I like more than birthday cards, it’s Christmas cards. My husband commented a few years ago that as our kids got older, their gifts get smaller but more expensive. Think about how true this is... back when the iPod first came out, they were small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but cost $150. Luckily for us, our children were spaced out enough in age that we were not buying them all one in the same year.

Fast forward a half dozen or more years later, and gift cards or money are the gifts that are most commonly exchanged in our family. Many people will argue that those are impersonal and doesn't show much effort. While I am not a big fan of guessing what you may like, there are also those people who really are that hard to buy for. My father looks forward to the gift card we give him to his favorite hunting and fishing store. Sure its predictable, but he gets exactly what he wants.

I made this card my stamping directly onto the patterned paper and fussy cutting the cup out. I was careful when placing my foam dimensionals that I left enough room for the money to stick out of the top. The coffee staining on the background is oxide ink and a stencil directly on cardstock. This card could be easily modified and used as a money holder for a birthday or graduation gift.

Hop along with the other Friends of Unity and see their creations...Pssst! There is a giveaway too!

Eileen Mathys (you’re here)

Crystal O. Minkler
Robyn Jordan 
Joyce Verdon
Jeannie Hayes
Wynne Grob

Dawn Fields

 

Stamps:

Cuppa Comfort (Unity Stamp Company)

Paper:

Perfectly Plaid Dasher (Lawn Fawn)

Emerald Envy (Stampin Up Retired)

Real Red (SU)

Ink:

Walnut Stain Disress Oxides (Blitsy)

Black Onyx Versafine (Simon Says Stamp)

Accessories:

Tim Holtz Layering Stencil Splatters (SSS)