Inked by Eileen

Friday, July 19, 2024

Christmas in July 2024

Welcome to Build Your Stash Holiday Hop! Let this holiday linky party inspire your creativity and get you in the mood for some holiday cards. This is the time of year where Christmas is the furthest from our mind. Tank tops and flip flops fill our wardrobe, with our boots and jackets safely stored away. Yet, if you start to look around, you will find hints of fall and Christmas in the stores. Hallmark has their ornaments on display and school supplies are on the shelves.

I have always said Christmas is my favorite season (minus the weather that goes along with it) and this is the holiday that I own the most stamps for. I especially love Christmas music. I didn’t marry a Grinch, so once November is here, it’s Christmas music, books, and movies all the time. We usually have to stream our music online because some of our favorites don’t get played as often, while others get played a tad too much. That can be said for music on any station during anytime of the year.

This year I am attempting to make all my cards with paper scraps or use sketches that require the use of paper scraps. This is something I have an abundance of and thought that this would be a fun challenge to try and could possibly inspire you! Here is the sketch that inspired me for my first card.

We hope that you are inspired by our creations and will play along with us, so make sure to check out our BYSHC blog. We have awesome sponsors that have generously offered up wonderful prizes, so don't miss out! Dates for this hop are July 19-26, 2024.

Stamps:

None

Paper:

Snow Day Remix Patterned Paper (Lawn Fawn)

Costal Cabana (Stampin Up)

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Ink:
None

Accessories:

None

Saturday, June 1, 2024

Friends of Unity June Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Friends of Unity June Blog Hop. We are featuring a Celebrations theme this month. I was so glad that life has taken a pause for me and gave me some time for creativity and the ability to participate. It has been a while, but I found some fun inspiration and I wanted to share.

This category is so broad, and every year I say that I am going to get better about sending birthday cards. Well, I failed at my goal... but in May I have several friends with birthdays on the same day, and two very close friends with birthdays just a week apart. I saw a card similar to the one I created and then realized I could make it a two for one.

The alphabet dies used in this card were my first set purchased and while they are a tad on the big side, the make a bold statement and I love how they turned out on this card (just ignore the crooked 'e' in the first line). This card fits my friends perfectly and I hope to find ways to use this style in future creations.

Hop along with the other Friends of Unity and see what they created with this fun theme:

Crystal O. Minkler

Tammy Hawes

Eileen Mathys (you are here)

Rachel Duong

Stamps:

Infinite Birthday Wishes (Unity Stamp Company)

Paper:

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

True Black (Papertrey Ink)

Ink:
Versamark

Wilted Violet Distress Oxide (Tim Holtz)

Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide (Tim Holtz)

Villainous Potion Distress Oxide (Tim Holtz)

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot

Bold Alphabet Dies (Altenew)

Alabaster Embossing Powder (Brutus Monroe)

Scalloped Stitched Rectangle Dies (Gina Marie)

Subtle Embossing Folder (Stampin Up)

Disclaimer:
We all on the Friends of Unity design team appreciate every single comment we get.
That's why we use our own stash every month for a giveaway.
We are NOT sponsored by Unity Stamp Co. but, they do approve of our hop, and that make us all very happy.
We started this hop because we love Unity. That's it. This hop is our way of showcasing our cards made with our favorite stamps!!

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Spring into Christmas 2024

Welcome to Build Your Stash Spring into Christmas Linky Party! Let the creativity of the next eight days inspire your creativity and get you in the mood for some holiday cards. This is the time of year where Christmas is the furthest from our mind. In our house we are swapping out our winter clothes for spring and summer items and talking of turning down the heat. These are the days when you need the heat on to chase the chill from the air, but don't need it by the time lunch comes around. Crocus and daffodils are blooming in every year. Robins are nesting and many animals are coming out of hibernation.

I am so excited for this linky party as it gave me a good excuse to bring out some of the new goodies I likely purchased on a Black Friday sale or with Christmas money... and this Santa was one of them! While I will admit at first glance the number of pieces was very intimidating. Don't let that spoil your fun! On the back of each die you will also see a color that will guide you on what color is suggested for the die cutting. You can obviously mix it up a little, but once I realized that I was off to the races and Santa was done shortly after that. This card was my first attempt and will certainly not be my last... I am in LOVE with this Tim Holtz Santa die will be making several more.

Stamps:

None

Paper:

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Echo Park patterned paper

Various Stampin Up and Taylored Expressions colored cardstock used

Ink:
None

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot

Santa Greeting Colorize Thinlits Dies (Tim Holtz)

Friday, October 20, 2023

Falling for the Holidays Linky Party 2023

Welcome to Build Your Stash Falling for the Holidays Linky Party! Let the creativity of the next eight days inspire your creativity and get you in the mood for some holiday cards. Now is the time where we start to see holiday decor in the stores, and we turn our minds to shopping for the holiday. In our neck of the woods the leaves are on the ground and there is a nip in the air. Mornings are cool and days warm up... but light jackets are almost a necessity. I prefer fall to spring, but I enjoy living in an area where we can see the seasons change in every facet of nature.

I have always said Christmas is my favorite season (minus the weather that goes along with it) and this is the holiday that I own the most stamps for. I especially love Christmas music. I didn’t marry a Grinch, so once November is here, it’s Christmas music all the time. We usually have to stream it online because some of our favorites don’t get played as often, while others get played a tad too much. That can be said for music on any station during anytime of the year.

Stamps:

Warm Heart (Trinity Stamps)

Paper:

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Pool Party (Stampin Up)

Snowflake Splendor DSP (SU)

Ink:
Oreo (TE)

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot

Warm Heart Coordinating Die (Trinity)

Subtle Embossing Folder (SU)

Friday, July 21, 2023

Christmas in July 2023

Welcome to Build Your Stash Holiday Hop! Let this holiday hop inspire your creativity and get you in the mood for some holiday cards. This is the time of year where Christmas is the furthest from our mind. Tank tops and flip flops litter our wardrobe, with our boots and jackets safely stored away. Yet, if you start to look around, you will find hints of fall and Christmas in the stores. Hallmark has their ornaments on display and school supplies are on the shelves.

I have always said Christmas is my favorite season (minus the weather that goes along with it) and this is the holiday that I own the most stamps for. I especially love Christmas music. I didn’t marry a Grinch, so once November is here, it’s Christmas music all the time. We usually have to stream it online because some of our favorites don’t get played as often, while others get played a tad too much. That can be said for music on any station during anytime of the year.

Stamps:

None

Paper:

Stampers Select White (Papertrey Ink)

Salt Water Taffy (Taylored Expressions)

Toffee (TE)

Ink:
Salt Water Taffy (TE)

Sea Salt (TE)

Poblano Pepper (TE)

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot

Create in Quads Snowflakes layering stencil (TE)

Giant Let is Snow die (Lawn Fawn)

Happy Medium- Fresh Snow (TE)

Friday, April 21, 2023

Spring into Christmas 2023

Welcome to Build Your Stash Holiday Hop! Let this holiday hop inspire your creativity and get you in the mood for some holiday cards. This is the time of year where Christmas is the furthest from our mind. In our house we are swapping out our winter clothes for spring and summer items and talking of turning down the heat. These are the days when you need the heat on to chase the chill from the air, but don't need it by the time lunch comes around. Crocus and daffodils are blooming in every year. Robins are nesting and many animals are coming out of hibernation.

I have always said Christmas is my favorite season (minus the weather that goes along with it) and this is the holiday that I own the most stamps for. I especially love Christmas music. I didn’t marry a Grinch, so once November is here, it’s Christmas music all the time. We usually have to stream it online because some of our favorites don’t get played as often, while others get played a tad too much. That can be said for music on any station during anytime of the year.

Stamps:

Woodland Squad (Taylored Expressions)

Buffalo Plaid Background (TE)

Christmas Simple Strips (TE)

Paper:

Classic Kraft (Papertrey Ink)

Vintage Cream (Papertrey)

Garden Green (Stampin Up)

Mocha (TE)

Ink:
Mocha (TE)

Vintage Photo Distress Oxide (Tim Holtz)

Accessories:

Sizzix Big Shot

Woodland Squad (TE)

Stitched Frame Stacklet (TE)

Simple Strips Die (TE)

Simple Strips Die Backer (TE)

Saturday, April 1, 2023

Friends of Unity April Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to our Friends of Unity April Blog Hop. We are featuring a butterfly theme this month. My pickings were slim this month as I didn't realize how FEW butterfly stamps I had. I'm glad I found this one, as it was new in the package, so I must have seen something that inspired me when it first came out.

Clean and simple always seem to be what I am drawn too. This was quick one pulled together with some embossing resist, one of my favorite techniques! I just needed to decide on which oxide combination I would use for this. I saw someone share a blend of darker than this but it looked like sunset I recently saw and went with those colors.